title: Evaluation of the potential for virus dispersal during hand drying: a comparison of three methods.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To use a MS2 bacteriophage model to compare three hand-drying methods, paper towels (PT), a warm air dryer (WAD) and a jet air dryer (JAD), for their potential to disperse viruses and contaminate the immediate environment during use.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants washed their gloved hands with a suspension of MS2 bacteriophage and hands were dried with one of the three hand-drying devices. The quantity of MS2 present in the areas around each device was determined using a plaque assay. Samples were collected from plates containing the indicator strain, placed at varying heights and distances and also from the air. Over a height range of 0·15-1·65 m, the JAD dispersed an average of >60 and >1300-fold more plaque-forming units (PFU) compared to the WAD and PT (P < 0·0001), respectively. The JAD dispersed an average of >20 and >190-fold more PFU in total compared to WAD and PT at all distances tested up to 3 m (P < 0·01) respectively. Air samples collected around each device 15 min after use indicated that the JAD dispersed an average of >50 and >100-fold more PFU compared to the WAD and PT (P < 0·001), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Use of the JAD lead to significantly greater and further dispersal of MS2 bacteriophage from artificially contaminated hands when compared to the WAD and PT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The choice of hand-drying device should be considered carefully in areas where infection prevention concerns are paramount, such as healthcare settings and the food industry.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Westminster, London, UK.
authors.forename: P T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Kimmitt
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Westminster, London, UK.
authors.forename: K F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Redway
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006225:Hand / Q000821:virology*; D006235:Hand Disinfection / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D017909:Levivirus / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D010209:Paper
keywords: MS2 bacteriophage; aerosolization; cross-contamination; dispersal; hand drying; hand hygiene; virus