We are living in a world filled with germs and viruses. Studies have discovered that there are 800 million germs in each square meter of distance in the world. The hand is the most vulnerable section of anatomy, the most immediate contact with the external world, and also the most exposed to contamination.

In 2015, researchers in the University of New South Wales faculty of medicine in Australia discovered that people contact their face roughly 23 times within one hour, or even every 2.6 minutes. One of them, about 44 percent of the signature is from the mouth, eyes, and nose with mucous membranes, which can be the simplest to bring pathogens to the body.

Several studies have demonstrated that washing hands in an ideal manner can eliminate over 95 percent of the germs on hands. More to the point, regularly wash your hands may efficiently lower the potential for disease. Under the very same conditions, the likelihood of infectious diseases from the experimental group using intensive handwashing has been 70% lower than that in the control group minus intensive washing.

In the new guidelines for COVID-19 coronavirus coronavirus protection recommended by the World Health Organization, the first suggestion is to wash your hands frequently.

Why is it so important to wash your hands frequently?

Because the COVID-19 coronavirus can be spread through direct contact. If people touch the food or clothes used by the infected person, and direct contact with the infected person, the coronavirus will be transmitted to themselves through their hands. For example, rubbing the eyes or touching the nasal cavity or mouth may be directly infected. Therefore, it is necessary to wash your hands frequently during the period of COVID-19, wash with soap and water, and wash with water as much as possible. After washing hands, you can disinfect with no washing disinfectant. You can choose to install an automatic soap dispenser to avoid indirect contact.

What is the correct way to wash your hands?

We recommend the “seven-step hands washing technique”

  • Put your palms together and rub your fingers together.
  • Put the palm of your hand on the back of your hand and rub it along your finger.
  • Put your palms together again, cross your fingers and rub each other.
  • Bend the knuckles, rotate and exchange for full rubbing.
  • Hold your thumb and place it in your palm to polish.
  • Bring your fingertips together, rotate your palms and knead gently.
  • Rub your wrists with two fingers around to ensure cleanliness.

Besides, handwashing time should be more than 20 seconds, wash your hands with patience.

Do not forget hand drying is the most neglected step in handwashing, and studies have shown that moist skin is more likely to spread microorganisms than dry skin. However, it is recommended to dry hands with a disposable paper towel instead of a dryer, because the drying opportunity increases the diffusion of particles and microorganisms into the air, polluting the environment.

Besides wash your hands frequently, what else must be paid attention to？ At this critical moment of life and death, we should follow the advice of experts on epidemic prevention.

Disinfection work ought to be set up

Disinfect skin with 75% clinical alcohol. Tableware, clothing, toys, etc. could be disinfected by steamer from boiling for 20 minutes or boiling at 100 ℃ for 15 minutes. Fruits and vegetables may be soaked in mild salt (add 2-3 tsp of raw salt into a bowl of freshwater, then soak fruits and veggies for approximately ten minutes), then rinse with flowing water. Chlorine containing disinfectant may be used for tables, beds, chairs, walls, floors, etc., and also the objective of disinfection can be reached by wiping with a cloth.

Ensure indoor air circulation

Frequent ventilation is necessary, especially in autumn and winter. Don’t neglect ventilation because of the cold. It is recommended that ventilation should be determined according to indoor and outdoor environmental conditions. When the outdoor air quality is good, ventilation can be done in the morning, at night, and at least 30 minutes each time. When the outdoor air quality is poor, the frequency and time of ventilation should be appropriately reduced.

Develop good eating habits

Do not believe that the coronavirus infection can be treated by folk prescription and diet therapy, maintain a reasonable diet structure and ensure balanced nutrition. Also, when cooking, the chopping boards and props for raw food and cooked food should be separated, and hands should be washed after handling raw and cooked food. At the same time, it is suggested to develop the dining habit of public tableware.

Wear masks properly

When going to crowded public places, you should wear masks consciously.
Because when people gather and the ventilation conditions are poor, pathogens will gather in high concentrations. If the population is not densely populated, if it is an open environment, the pathogen is diluted and not enough to infect people, you can choose not to wear a mask. However, if you have symptoms such as cough and fever, you need to wear a mask to prevent infection to others.

Conclusion

The world is a whole. No matter which country you are from, which skin color you are, or which language you speak, during the epidemic, each of us has the responsibility to do our part. Everyone must consciously wear a mask when going out, and we must be aware of avoiding direct or indirect contact with others. Staying at home except for work or necessary things is the best option.