COVID-19 has taught us a lot of things and maintaining proper personal hygiene is one of them. Constant washing of hands with soap and water or sanitizing them more than 20 times a day might leave your hands all dry. But it is extremely important to do so, in order to avoid infections and prevent germs, especially in the current scenario. Therefore, every year on 15th October, Global Handwashing Day is celebrated in order to raise awareness about the importance of hand-washing with soap and water. It was first celebrated in 2008, when over 120 million children from 70 countries washed their hands. The theme for the day this year is ‘Hand Hygiene For All’.
What Happens When You Wash Your Hands With Soap?
The National Health Portal (NHP) of India states that if one practices proper handwashing with soap and water, it can impact in the following manner:
- 47% of diarrheal diseases are preventable through handwashing.
- 16% of respiratory infections are preventable through handwashing.
- 1:92 estimated return on investment of national handwashing behavior change program in India.
- 40% reduction in healthcare associated infections with correct hand hygiene.
In addition to this, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that handwashing education in the community:
- Reduces the number of people who get sick with diarrhea by 23-40%
- Reduces diarrheal illness in people with weakened immune systems by 58%
- Reduces respiratory illnesses, like colds, in the general population by 16-21%
- Reduces absenteeism due to gastrointestinal illness in schoolchildren by 29-57%
Why Is Handwashing Important?
Handwashing with soap and water can prevent germs. CDC explains that this helps prevent infections because:
- People frequently touch their eyes, nose, and mouth without even realizing it. Germs can get into the body through the eyes, nose and mouth and make us sick.
- Germs from unwashed hands can get into foods and drinks while people prepare or consume them. Germs can multiply in some types of foods or drinks, under certain conditions, and make people sick.
- Germs from unwashed hands can be transferred to other objects, like handrails, table tops, or toys, and then transferred to another person’s hands.
- Removing germs through handwashing therefore helps prevent diarrhea and respiratory infections and may even help prevent skin and eye infections.
5 Steps To Washing Your Hands
Here are 5 important steps to properly washing your hands with soap and water, as recommended by CDC
- Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap.
- Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Be sure to lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
- Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the "Happy Birthday" song from beginning to end twice.
- Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.
- Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.
Remember to turn off the faucet/tap once you wet your hands and while rubbing the soap to avoid unnecessary wastage of water. You may also turn off the faucet using a paper towel or tissue once you have washed your hands.
Therefore handwashing with soap is a very healthy habit and should be inculcated in a person since childhood. It can be taught to the children at home as well as in educational institutions. When soap and water is not available, sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol content can be used. But one must remember that sanitizers may not remove harmful chemicals and may also not be very effective when the hands are visibly dirty. Thus, choosing soaps over sanitizers is the best option. Also, during the times of COVID-19, handwashing is one of the best ways to prevent from getting infected with the novel coronavirus.
