This summer’s festival lineup is sick — but not in the way you want it to be.
A new study by UK cleaning brand Method has over a fifth of 18- to 24-year-olds confessing they don’t wash their hands at festivals.
The survey of 1,500 Brits revealed a staggering 26% of them only wash their hands once a day when they attend a three- or four-day event.
A shocking 1 in 10 said they don’t clean their hands because “it’s a festival,” and they “don’t need to.”
44% blamed a lack of facilities at the event, and 28% cited not wanting to wait in line.
Dr. Joe Latimer, a microbiologist who partnered with Method, said the findings are “not surprising,” with about half of those surveyed unaware of the types of bacteria they might encounter at festivals.
“That’s not surprising since in most cases, we can’t see, smell, taste, hear or feel bacteria,” Latimer said in a statement to media outlets. “The biggest vehicle for bacterial infection at festivals is right at our fingertips — literally.”
He continued: “Your hands touch all sorts of objects at a festival, then they also touch your face, your mouth and other sensitive parts of the body through which microbes might be able to get in.”
Unkempt festivalgoers should worry about E.coli, which can cause severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting; staphylococcus, which can lead to minor or serious skin infections; and enterococci, which can cause a variety of problems, such as urinary tract infections.
Latimer said the most effective way to practice festival hygiene is to wash hands often.
“We don’t have to be super-sterile, but dare to venture to the toilet block? Wash your hands. About to sample the wonderful food on offer? Wash your hands,” he explained.
“About to get creative with the festival makeup and glitter? Wash your hands. And that’s it — go wild, have fun, be daft and enjoy hanging out with your friends. See you at the main stage!”
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