Wash Hands To Avoid COVID

Vinod Dixit

Hand-washing is the second best way to prevent getting an infection. There is a need to increase awareness and understanding about the importance of washing hands with soap as an easy, effective, and affordable way to prevent diseases and save our lives. The habit of proper hand washing is directly linked to one’s health especially among school going children. Hands contribute to the spread of COVID-19 in several ways. Experts recommend that people wash their hands for a full 20 seconds to clean off bacteria. We can stop the spread of killer coronavirus by washing our hands properly.

For hand washing to be more effective, it must be accomplished consistently at key times, such as after using the toilet or before contact with food. Habit formation is currently a hot topic in behaviour change and the water, sanitation, and hygiene sector. Cold and flu viruses last a surprisingly long time on surfaces: between six and eight hours. Something like the coronavirus can live for 24 hours on surfaces. The best time to wash your hands is whenever you think you should be washing your hands. 

Hand-washing is the No. 1 prevention against spread of infection, inside and outside the hospital setting. It is important in the home, in schools and in every workplace. It is the cornerstone of infection-control practice and education for everyone who works in health care. Every year worldwide, 8.8 million children younger than age five die of preventable illnesses. There are many children in the world who do not have access to safe water, or the habit or means to wash their hands properly. It is also observed that when students have access to clean water, soap, and toilet facilities, they are less likely to drop out or miss classes due to illness.

We know that hand washing with soap is the most effective and inexpensive way to prevent diarrheal diseases – reducing incidence by up to 47 per cent – and combined with improved sanitation, this is boosted to 68 per cent. If we do not have immediate access to soap and water, then we can use alcohol-based hand wash if available. Many diseases are transmitted when we don’t wash our hands. Bacterial, viral and fungal infections can be prevented if the hands are washed properly every day. Worm infestation, anemia, malnutrition and diarrhea are the common health hazards caused by unhygienic hands. If there is no hygiene, there is no health. 

Hand washing is a small action that can have big benefits. Let us progress towards the goal of maintaining a global profile on the importance of hand hygiene in health care and to ‘bring people together’ in support of hand hygiene improvement globally. Hand washing might take a few extra minutes, but it’s an easy and really effective way to slow the spread of illnesses like the flu and coronavirus from one person to another or just from touching a contaminated surface.

It is a need of the hour to spread the word about hand washing, build sinks and tippy taps, and demonstrate the simplicity and value of clean hands.  We need to emphasise the importance of hand washing as a way to prevent diseases, the necessity of using soap instead of only water, how everyone’s health can benefit from washing their hands, and the key times for hand washing, including before and after eating.