The Main Goal of Handwashing is To

Question

The main goal of handwashing is to
A) sterilize a person's hand.
B) increase the risk of passing on pathogens.
C) eliminate transient flora.
D) disinfect a person's hands.

Accepted Answer

The main goal of handwashing is to eliminate transient flora, which refers to microbes that are present on a person's skin but are not part of their normal microbiota. The goal is not to sterilize or disinfect a person's hands, as this can be harmful to the natural microbiota and promote the growth of resistant bacteria. Increasing the risk of passing on pathogens is obviously not a goal, but rather the opposite of what handwashing should achieve.