it's global handwashing day: perfect timing
it's so simple but worth repeating: properly washing your hands help stop the spread of viruses.
2 minute read
soap, water and a little bit of scrubbing are so important to stopping the spread of viruses.
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october 15 is global handwashing day. with coronavirus cases rising around the world, physcial distancing is important, but let’s not neglect another important tool in combating the virus — washing your hands.
seems simple enough, but a 2018 us department of agriculture (usda) study found that 97 per cent of people fail to wash their hands properly. which in today’s environment, is, well, a problem.
so if you are even slightly in doubt as to how to give your hands a good once-over, the centre for disease control and prevention (cdc) has a guide to hand washing for the uninitiated — of which there are apparently many. here’s a quick look at the proper way to scrub up:
hand-washing 101
know when to wash. hands should be washed before, during and after food preparation, before eating, before and after treating wounds, after interacting with animals or animal products, after using the toilet or cleaning a child who has done so, after coughing or sneezing, after touching garbage or after caring for someone who is ill.
start with water. the first part of successful hand washing is wetting them with clean water. the temperature of the water doesn’t affect microbe removal, so it can be warm or cold. then, turn off the tap to save water and apply soap.
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soap up. lather your hands, getting in between your fingers and under your nails. don’t forget the backs of your hands. make sure to rub, as this creates friction, making it easier to lift off dirt and bacteria.
take your time. there’s no consensus on the exact amount of time that one should wash their hands, but the cdc recommends at least twenty seconds, or the time it takes to hum two ‘happy birthdays.’
rinse. rinse your hands under clean, running water, as rinsing them in a basin of water could recontaminate them. there’s no need to use a paper towel to turn off the faucet, as there is no sign this improves health and only wastes paper.
dry. lastly, dry your hands using either a clean paper towel or an air dryer. there are no studies that show the superiority of one of method or the other, but it’s an important step, as wet hands are more prone to contamination.
studies have shown that diligent hand-washing can reduce respiratory illness by up to 16 per cent, and if everyone washed their hands routinely, we’d save up to a million lives a year.
not numbers to be ignored, especially during a pandemic.
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