undefined | Better HN

0 pointsadrianN7y ago0 comments

A lot more people used to die of disease before we figured out to wash our hands regularly.

0 comments

Are mortality rates significantly lower in the modern developed world (I am assuming this is true) because people in general wash their hands more? Is that what you're trying to imply?

I don't buy it. I'd attribute the difference more to technologies like vaccines and antibiotics.

adrianNOP7y ago

Proper sanitation has saved more lives than vaccines and antibiotics. Check for example this well researched Quora answer: https://www.quora.com/How-much-have-sanitation-vaccination-a...

caconym_7y ago

"Proper sanitation" includes much more than just hand washing (e.g. properly disposing of urine and feces rather than throwing them into the street), so you're refuting a statement that I never made.

If you can disentangle hand washing from the effects of modern sanitation in general, I'm interested to hear more.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 comments

caconym_7y ago

Are mortality rates significantly lower in the modern developed world (I am assuming this is true) because people in general wash their hands more? Is that what you're trying to imply?

I don't buy it. I'd attribute the difference more to technologies like vaccines and antibiotics.

adrianNOP7y ago

Proper sanitation has saved more lives than vaccines and antibiotics. Check for example this well researched Quora answer: https://www.quora.com/How-much-have-sanitation-vaccination-a...

caconym_7y ago

"Proper sanitation" includes much more than just hand washing (e.g. properly disposing of urine and feces rather than throwing them into the street), so you're refuting a statement that I never made.

If you can disentangle hand washing from the effects of modern sanitation in general, I'm interested to hear more.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse