THE Covid-19 pandemic pushed hand hygiene to the forefront. More people than ever became conscious of the need to keep their hands clean and germ-free, and to avoid touching their faces frequently.
But how many of us have maintained this routine? Handwashing is one of the simplest and most effective ways to prevent the transmission of germs.
Many diseases including the common cold, influenza and respiratory and diarrhoeal infections spread from person to person or when one comes into contact with contaminated surfaces so hand hygiene is crucial.
In fact, 1 in 3 diarrhoeal infections and 1 in 5 respiratory infections can be prevented with good hand hygiene.
World Hand Hygiene Day is marked annually on May 5 and Global Handwashing Day on Oct 15, to highlight the important role this simple practice plays in disease prevention and transmission.
WHEN SHOULD YOU WASH?
*Before food preparation, while cooking and after preparing meals
*Before consuming food
*After touching or caring for someone who is sick
*Before and after treating an open wound
*After using the toilet/assisting young children in the toilet
*After sneezing or blowing your nose
*After handling pets/animal waste/cleaning pet cages
*After touching garbage/gardening
*After changing the diapers of infants/toddlers
*After coming back from work/using public transport/being in crowded places
*After playing outside (for children)
HOW SHOULD YOU WASH?
*Wet hands thoroughly
*Use enough soap and lather well
*Scrub the front and back of your palms and in between the fingers
*Don't forget to scrub/cleanse your nails
*Duration of cleansing should be between 40-60 seconds
*Rinse thoroughly under running water
*Wipe with a clean towel/tissue
Sources: https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/when-how-handwashing.html and https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/how-to-handwash
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