Some may think it sounds corny or useless, but the practice of washing hands frequently really does keep disease away.

In our local community, hand washing helps prevent flu and staph infections that are now out and about in our towns. Asked about the simple act of washing hands, Inyo-Mono Health Officer Dr. Rick Johnson said it's a practice that really does help.

Dr. Johnson said that staph germs survive for many hours on dry surfaces. So, you can contract illness from door knobs, computer key boards, telephones and normal surfaces. He recommends that you wash you hands frequently for 20 to 30 seconds.

The internet site, WebMD recommends the use of alcohol hand sanitizers. They quote hospital studies conducted in England as proof that sanitizers reduced staph infection rates.

Hand washing also prevents the spreading of influenza that is frequently contracted from droplets on hands from sneezing or coughing.