5th of May this year happens to be World Hand Hygiene Day. However, now more than ever, keeping our hands clean brings a whole new meaning to all our lives.
Our wellbeing may even be depending on it! Did you know, for instance, that researchers in London estimate that if everyone routinely washed their hands, a million deaths a year could be prevented1? Also, it is estimated that washing hands with soap and water could reduce diarrheal disease-associated deaths by up to 50%2.
It’s been a year plus into the pandemic, and handwashing with soap remains one of our best defenses against the virus, alongside other public health measures such as maintaining physical distance, avoiding crowded places, practising cough etiquette and wearing a mask wherever recommended. To help stop the spread of COVID-19, the practice of handwashing at regular intervals is a must, as well as after coughing or sneezing, when caring for the sick, after using the toilet, before eating, while preparing food and after handling animals or animal waste. Also, wash your hands after touching common surfaces such as door knobs or handles, or after visiting a public place. These will help keep us and others around us safe.
Your Hands: Care Enough to Keep Em’ Clean!
When Cleaning with Soap and Water
When Using a Hand Sanitiser
Handwashing has always been one of most effective ways of keeping diseases at bay. It is a simple act that pays in dividends when it comes to keeping ourselves healthy and safe. Handwashing is also one of the key cornerstones of COVID-19 prevention. Now more than ever as we embrace the new normal and live with COVID-19, hand hygiene needs to become an integral part of our daily routine and our lives, as we live through this pandemic, and beyond, to protect us from diseases – Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia Region
References:
1, 2. Curtis V, Camicross S. Effect of washing hands with soap on diarrhoea risk in the community: A systematic review.External Lancet Infect Dis. 2003;3(5):275-81.
