There was a peer-reviewed report published in the journal for Applied and Environmental Microbiology that studied the amount of bacteria that was blown from hand dryers in 36 public restrooms at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. The sample from the study concluded that as many as 60 colonies of bacteria were blown from a hand dryer in just 30-seconds. A number of those bacteria were linked to fecal and human bacteria, even bacteria known to cause serious infections.
Why YSK: So that you are informed for your own health, hygiene, and wellness and to prevent further spread of more harmful bacteria.
Citation & Sources: “Deposition of Bacteria and Bacterial Spores by Bathroom Hot-Air Hand Dryers” (April 2018), Applied and Environmental Microbiology
I’m pretty sure that regardless of where you are or what you’re doing, fecal matter is getting blown on your hands. Mythbusters tested this out once by putting tooth brushes all over their shop and then culturing the bacteria from them. IIRC the ones that were in the bathroom had the least amount of fecal matter.
The thing I remember is that even the control toothbrush that got opened and immediately locked away had fecal bacteria on it.