Good hygiene practices are a simple way to reduce the risk of disease in general and COVID-19 specifically. Coronaviruses are “enveloped viruses”, which means they have a lipid coating with spikes that allow them to bind more easily to targeted tissues. This coating makes coronaviruses more susceptible to soap and disinfectants, including alcohol-based wipes and hand sanitizers.
It’s important to wash your hands correctly. One study in a college town suggested that only around 5% of restroom users washed their hands long enough to remove infection-causing germs,[1] despite how essential this is for reducing virus transmission.[2][3][4][5][6] Also, many people don’t completely dry their hands, and wet hands increase transmission risk.[7]
To properly clean your hands, wash your hands for at least 20 seconds and dry them fully
References
- ^Borchgrevink CP, Cha J, Kim SHand washing practices in a college town environmentJ Environ Health.(2013 Apr)
- ^Kampf G, Kramer AEpidemiologic background of hand hygiene and evaluation of the most important agents for scrubs and rubsClin Microbiol Rev.(2004 Oct)
- ^Arbogast JW, Moore-Schiltz L, Jarvis WR, Harpster-Hagen A, Hughes J, Parker AImpact of a Comprehensive Workplace Hand Hygiene Program on Employer Health Care Insurance Claims and Costs, Absenteeism, and Employee Perceptions and PracticesJ Occup Environ Med.(2016 Jun)
- ^Del Rio C, Malani PN2019 Novel Coronavirus-Important Information for CliniciansJAMA.(2020 Feb 5)
- ^Wong VW, Cowling BJ, Aiello AEHand hygiene and risk of influenza virus infections in the community: a systematic review and meta-analysisEpidemiol Infect.(2014 May)
- ^Teslya A, et alImpact of self-imposed prevention measures and short-term government intervention on mitigating and delaying a COVID-19 epidemicmedRxiv (PREPRINT).(2020-03-16)
- ^Merry AF, Miller TE, Findon G, Webster CS, Neff SPTouch contamination levels during anaesthetic procedures and their relationship to hand hygiene procedures: a clinical auditBr J Anaesth.(2001 Aug)