Global Hand washing Day- 2020

Global hand washing Day - 2020

Global hand washing day 

 With the world facing the COVID-19 pandemic, washing hands and maintaining hand hygiene has become all the more important and need of the hour.

 It is also one of the cheapest and easiest ways to prevent corona virus. 

Here's everything you need to know about washing your hands to protect against not only COVID-19 but all viral, bacterial or Viroidal infections. 

Many germs that can make people sick are spread when we don’t wash our hands with soap and clean, running water. 

That is why handwashing is so important, especially at key times such as after using the bathroom, when preparing food, before eating, and after coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose.

Globally, over 1.2 million children under the age of five die from preventable diseases such as pneumonia and diarrhoea each year.

 To put that another way, every 30 seconds a child is deprived of their future. 

Yet, this could be prevented through the simple act of handwashing with soap.

Appropriate handwashing

A thorough handwashing should include rubbing hands, scrubbing all surfaces including hands, wrists, between the fingers and under the fingernails, Ideally it should last around 20  seconds but even only 15 seconds of soap and water handwashing, can reduce bacterial counts by  approximately 90% (Harvard Health Publications, 2007). 

When to wash your hands 

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention we should wash our hands.. 

•  Before, during, and after preparing food
•  Before eating food
•  Before and after caring for someone who is sick
•  Before and after treating a cut or wound
•  After using the toilet
•  After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet
• After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
• After touching an animal (including pet, animal feed, or animal waste)
• After handling pet food or pet treats
• After touching garbage

Use running water :-

Use running water instead of a basin of standing water that could become contaminated through use. 

Warm water may be better than cold for handwashing as soap lathers (soaps up) better with warm water. 

However, cold water and soap are still suitable. Hot water can damage the skin’s natural oils. Over time, this can cause dermatitis. 

Take care of your hands 

Handwashing is only one part of hand hygiene. Looking after your skin generally is important, as your skin is your most effective barrier against infection. After your hands have been dried thoroughly, you can help to look after your hands if you:

• Apply a water-based absorbent hand cream three to four times a day, or more frequently if your hands are constantly in water.
• Use gloves to wash dishes to protect your hands.
• Use gloves when gardening to prevent a build-up of ingrained soil or scratches.
• Consult a doctor if a skin irritation develops or continues.

Sanitizers :-

When soap and water is not available, a gel or wipe sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol can be used. 

However Sanitizers do not eliminate all types of germs and their efficiency is based on the  volume and the time on the hands (it is better left dried on than wiped) Sanitizers don’t remove  pesticides, harmful chemicals and heavy metals. 

Hand sanitizer precautions: 

Hand sanitizer is flammable and if you keep large containers of hand sanitizer in your facility, they need to be stored like flammable liquids. Keep hand sanitizer out of the reach of children.

 Children should be discouraged from licking their hands after applying hand sanitizer.

 While there is no evidence that children have been poisoned from this behavior, it is a necessary precaution.

I recommend you to use soap or Hand wash instead of sanitizer. 

So, always remember that.. 

Handwashing is an important health-promoting practice that can reduce or eliminate harmful germs.

A liquid soap is a better choice over a soap bar. A sanitizer plus some tissues in your bag, might be very useful in situations where there is no soap or water. 

Tissues can be used to hold dirty surfaces  such as a faucet or a doorknob in a public toilet.

               👍👍👍