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Practice good hand hygiene  For more information on infection control, visit the Wellness Wednesday booth from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 6 in the Children’s Hospital Lobby. Wellness Wednesday participants will have the opportunity to participate in a microbial contamination simulation. People will apply a special substance to their hands and place them under special lighting to illuminate anything  on the hands. Participants will then be asked to wash with soap and water and then place their hands under the light again to determine the effectiveness of their handwashing. This exercise is for teaching purposes only and does not involve contamination with real microbial organisms.   The respiratory illness season is here, but there are many steps we can take to protect ourselves, patients and families: Practice consistent and excellent hand hygiene. Use soap and water or an alcohol waterless product. Wash all surfaces of the hands. Keep the alcohol product handy in your pocketbook and car. Take the flu vaccine. The vaccine will not give you the flu, and it is safe and effective. It is still available through Employee Health, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Students may receive the vaccine at Student Health Services. Please don't work with signs or symptoms of respiratory illness or any contagious illness. Practice good cough etiquette-cover your mouth by coughing into your sleeve or into a tissue which is immediately discarded. Don't cough directly into your hands. Always wash your hands immediately after coughing, sneezing or blowing your nose. Weekly tips from the Healthy S.C. Challenge Healthy S.C. Challenge is a results-oriented initiative created by Gov. Mark Sanford and first lady Jenny Sanford to motivate people to start making choices that can improve health and well-being. Visit http://www.healthysc.gov. Physical activity A 160-pound person would have to run at a moderate pace for four hours, swim for five hours or walk 30 miles to burn off a 3,000 calorie holiday meal (not including snacks or wine/alcohol consumed during the day).     Friday, Dec. 1, 2006 Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Island Publications at 849-1778, ext. 201.