An ounce of prevention is indeed worth a pound of cure! - You can pay now, or pay (much, much more!) later

摘要

My mother's admonitions to me when I was a child still ring loudly in my ears. "Wash your hands before you eat," became the stuff of urban legend (at least around our family table), a hook for family reminiscences, many years after most of us retainedonly vague memories of the actual words being spoken. As is so often the case, the wisdom of mothers has been reinforced as science catches up to generations of experience. The value of handwashing in limiting the spread of irritating illnesses such asthe common cold, and its place in helping control the spread of more serious diseases should they occur (such as SARS, or a flu pandemic) are now well-established as a first line of defence.