27 million of us will be taking to the roads this Christmas but the traffic jams on the way could be the least of our concerns.

The 19^th December is predicted to be the busiest day of the year on the roads with most travellers doing an average of 121 miles and several hours. But with 1 in 10 of us already suffering from a cold or flu, it might not just be the traffic that’s congested this Christmas.

New research from Kleenex Anti-Viral shows that 99% of us are unaware that the car is a cold and flu germ breeding ground, despite all the signs of a high risk environment: limited air circulation, closer confinement and questionable, flu-spreading habits.

For example, over half of us admit to leaving our used tissues in the car for longer than a day and only 30% clean them out once a month, leading to a build up of used tissues in car doors and footwells. Furthermore, with 55% of our kids using their sleeve or hand to wipe their noses, after a long car journey we could all find ourselves sneezing into our Christmas puddings.

Famous family GP and mother of three Dr. Dawn Harper, says: “When you’re heading to your relatives’ for your Christmas turkey it’s easy to forget what you might be passing on – or even catching – germs along the way. We all forget to take preventative measures when ferrying the family around in the car but it takes just one sneeze in a car environment to release millions of airborne germs”.

Dr. Harper continues: “Germs can remain virulent for up to 24 hours, even in a used tissue, but it is not always easy or practical to throw away a tissue immediately when you are driving. An easy way to protect your kids against cold and flu germs in the car is therefore to use an anti-viral tissue that kills 99.9 per cent of major cold and flu viruses in a tissue.

Here are her tips for protecting families against seasonal sniffles:

• Practice coughing etiquette – use a disposable tissue (preferably an anti-viral one) and remember to dispose of it as soon as you can.
• Open windows to increase ventilation and reduce humidity (this will reduce the risk of airborne viruses(
• If you have a virus, avoid travelling.
• Wash your hands when you get out of the car, and don’t touch your mouth before doing so.
• Get plenty of sleep and exercise, drink lots of water, and eat a nutritious diet.

Technorati Tags: Christmas, Dawn Harper, Family, Health, Infectious disease, Influenza, Kleenex, The Doors, Virus

Research reveals why driving to school increases the risk of catching cold and flu

New research from Kleenex® Anti-Viral shows they may be unaware that their car can be a prime breeding ground for spreading and catching germs: only 1% of parents think their kids are susceptible to catching a cold in the car compared to 84% in school classrooms and 13% in the playground.

The car is potentially a cold and flu trap due to limited air circulation, passengers contained in close confinement and used tissues.

Over 50% of parents questioned admitted to leaving their used tissues in the car for longer than a day and only 30% clean them out once a month, leading to a build up of used tissues in car doors and footwells.

This combined with 94% of school runs clocking in at up to 30 minutes each way, means there is a greater chance for germs to circulate and a longer time for your family to be exposed to them.

Famous family doctor and mother of three, Dr Dawn Harper identifies cars as a high risk factor in the cold cycle and shares her top tips on how families can prepare themselves against colds and flu this winter.

She explains: “Parents are protective over their child’s health and try to maintain high levels of hygiene within the home. We are forgetting to take preventative measures when ferrying our kids around in the car – it takes just one sneeze in a car environment to release millions of air borne germs.”

“It is vital to contain these germs and the easiest way to do this is to instil hygienic tissue usage and disposal, especially as Kleenex’s research shows 55% of children using their sleeve or hand to wipe their nose if a tissue isn’t readily available!”

With a third of parents (33%) offering lifts to neighbours and friends’ children, instances of colds are not just confined within the family either. And with more than 30% not buying tissues to keep in the car, it means your own children are more likely to come down with a cold or the flu this winter.

Dr Harper continues: “Germs can remain virulent for up to 24 hours, even in a used tissue, but it is not always easy or practical to throw away a tissue immediately when you are driving. An easy way to protect you kids against cold and flu germs in the car therefore is to use an anti-viral tissue that kills 99.9 percent of major cold and flu viruses in a tissue.”

Here are her top tips for families for the winter:

Practice coughing etiquette – use a disposable tissue (preferably an anti-viral one) and remember to dispose of it as soon as you can

• Open windows to increase ventilation and reduce humidity (this will reduce the risk of airborne viruses)
• If you have a virus, avoid travelling
• Wash your hands when you get out and don’t touch your mouth before doing so
• In addition to avoiding germs and washing your hands, your family can stay healthier during cold season by getting sufficient sleep and exercise, drinking plenty of water and eating a nutritious diet
• Anti-Viral tissues available in box format, at all major retailers RRP: £2.15 for a single pack, £3.80 for twin packs.

Tests have shown that Kleenex Anti-Viral tissues will kill99.9% of the following viruses in the tissue within 15 minutes:

· Influenza A and B that causes flu

· RhinovirusesType 1a and 2 that are the leading causes of colds

· Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), the leading cause of lower respiratory infection in children

Dr Harper biog: Dr. Dawn is a GP based in Gloucestershire. Dawn has been working as a media doctor for several years and her ability to simplify complex medical issues has made her an extremely sought after medical commentator and expert.

Dawn’s TV credits include ‘Embarrassing Teen Bodies’ on Channel 4 (Series 3 is currently being filmed and will be shown in October 2008), ‘Looking Good Feeling Great’ on ITV1 and ‘Who’ll Age Worst’ on UKTV. Dawn also regularly appears on ‘The Wright Stuff’ on Five, ‘This Morning’ on ITV1, ‘Women’s Hour’ on Radio 4, Radio 1’s ‘The Surgery’ and writes for a variety of publications including ‘Fresh Ideas’, ‘Healthspan’ and ‘Healthy’ magazine and will soon be NOW Magazines health expert. Her first book ‘Dr Dawn’s Health Check’ was published in 2007 by Mitchell Beazley.

About KLEENEX®

• KLEENEX® is the number one tissue brand in the UK. It has a 46.5% value share of the market
• KLEENEX® has driven all the major innovations such as KLEENEX® Anti-Viral, KLEENEX® Ultra Soft, KLEENEX® Balsam, KLEENEX® pocket packs
• Three packs of KLEENEX® are sold every second in the UK (AC Nielsen, 2007)
• The KLEENEX® brand in the UK is the first of Kimberly-Clark’s global product ranges to become Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) accredited with the FSC logo showing on packs from January 2008

About Kimberly-Clark

Kimberly-Clark and its well-known global brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 150 countries. Every day, 1.3 billion people–nearly a quarter of the world’s population–trust K-C’s brands and the solutions they provide to enhance their health, hygiene and well being. With brands such as KLEENEX®, Andrex®, Huggies®, Pull-Ups®, Kotex® and Depend®, Kimberly-Clark holds the No. 1 or No. 2 share position in more than 80 countries. To keep up with the latest K-C news and to learn more about the company’s 135-year history of innovation, visit www.kimberly-clark.com.

As a leading health and hygiene company, Kimberly-Clark has years of experience in educating professionals and families about good hygiene practise, whether it be through Infection Control nurses in Hospitals, through Contract Cleaners in an industrial setting or through the work it does with retailers and consumers.

Technorati Tags: ACNielsen, Andrex, Forest Stewardship Council, kimberly clark, Kleenex, Kleenex Anti-Viral, Kotex, Wright Stuff

Tags: Health, Kleenex, Eating, Food, hormone oxytocin, fruit and veg, softies, showing affection, kimberly clark, health benefits, happiness, diseases

Technorati Tags: diseases, Eating, Food, fruit and veg, happiness, Health, health benefits, hormone oxytocin, kimberly clark, Kleenex, showing affection, softies