I think it's real, but there is media hype. One TV station here is particularly notorious for whipping up a frenzy over stuff by repeating it over and over and over.
I thought about it on the subway Tuesday, but not much I can do, since I have to take it. Only 3 more times, though until the semester is over. I am not much of a crazy hand washer and think that we over use anti bacterial soap, etc. If I was still teaching, I might be using it, but not now.