Washing hands. It's the new chicken soup.

Each year, 52.2 million cases of the common cold affect children under the age of 17*, and nearly 22 million school days are lost due to the common cold**. As schools across the state kick off the 2009 - 2010 school year, preventing the spread of the H1N1 virus and other such infections is top of mind to parents, teachers, administrators and community members everywhere.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports hand washing as one of the single most preventive measures against the spread of disease.

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*Source: "School-Wide Hand Washing Campaigns Cut Germs, Absenteeism", by Gary Hopkins, Education World, 2005.

**Source: "School-Wide Hand Washing Campaigns Cut Germs, Absenteeism", by Gary Hopkins, Education World, 2005.