Currently, we are hearing a lot about viruses such as COVID-19 (coronavirus) on media and social network sites. One of the major ways of stopping a virus such as COVID-19 from spreading is proper hand washing. However, hand washing should be a normal thing to do! Look around you… how many times have you seen people leave a toilet cubicle and walk out without washing their hands? How many times have you seen people drop things on the floor and pick them up without washing their hands afterwards?
It is important to wash our hands regularly especially before eating and after we use WC (toilet) facilities. Until you wash your hands, make sure not to move your hands close to your eyes, nose or mouth as this increases the risk of contracting respiratory viruses.
When you wash your hands, It is important that the process does not take less than 15 seconds (it is recommended to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to yourself twice) using clean water and soap. Please watch the video below in order to see the recommended procedure of hand washing. You can also download a PDF sheet on how to wash your hands properly.
How to wash your hands using soap
How to use alcohol-based sanitizer.
In the event of not being able to wash your hands immediately, it is recommended to use an alcohol-hand sanitizer that has no less than 60% alcohol. However, this does not kill all germs and bacteria that cause viruses and should not be used instead of washing your hands. Wash your hands with soap and clean water as soon as you can.
Remember, washing your hands is basic hygiene. We do not need an outbreak of influenza in order to start washing our hands. We do this with respect to our health and for the health of others too. Please, look after yourselves and others too – Wash Your Hands!