MERS Impacts Hand Washing Habits In UAE

With MERS cases showing up throughout the Arabian Peninsula, a national hand washing survey reveals the majority of Emiratis improve their hand washing habits in response to news coverage about airborne or food-borne illnesses. 51 percent of those polled say they wash their hands more frequently and 34 percent wash more thoroughly or longer after news stories about infections and viruses.

Emiratis also worry about other illnesses. Two-thirds of respondents say they are now more concerned about contracting the flu virus than they were a year ago.

The findings are part of an online Healthy Hand Washing Survey conducted by Bradley Corporation, a leading manufacturer of commercial plumbing fixtures, washroom accessories, partition cubicles, emergency fixtures and solid plastic lockers.

The survey found that 80 percent of Emiratis say they always wash their hands after using a public toilet. However, 17 percent admit they sometimes skip that important action.

"Hand washing is a simple thing to do and it's the best way to prevent the spread of infection and illness," says Jon Dommisse, director of global marketing & strategic development for Bradley Corporation. "It's important that everyone knows and understands the benefits of hand washing."

Unfortunately, 74 percent of those polled say they've had a particularly unpleasant experience in a public toilet due to the condition of the facilities. A bad smell, water on the floor and an old, dirty or unkempt appearance top the list of problems. For businesses, an unclean toilet has negative implications. The majority of respondents say it indicates poor management or shows the business doesn't care about its customers.

The Healthy Hand Washing Survey asked 550 adults May 5-9, 2014 about their hand washing habits in public toilets. Participants were from around the UAE, ranged in age from 18 to 54, and were split between men (45 percent) and women (55 percent).

For more than 90 years, Bradley Corporation has designed and manufactured public facility hand washing and sanitaryware, and today is the industry's comprehensive source for plumbing fixtures, washroom accessories, toilet cubicles, emergency fixtures and solid plastic lockers. Headquartered in Wisconsin/USA, Bradley serves the airport/transportation, industrial, health care, recreation, religious facility, stadium, education, and corrections markets worldwide.

Emirate:  Abu Dhabi

Date: Jun 23, 2014

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