Every year 5th May is celebrated as, World Hand Hygienic Day or you can say World Hand Washing Day. The World Health Organisation WHO has marked this day to recognize that handwashing is one of the most effective actions you can take to reduce the spread of pathogens and prevent infections, including the COVID-19 virus.
The WHO has made this day most important for Nurses and Midwives and as, World has been gripped by a Coronavirus WHO has set the theme for this year’s Hand Hygiene Day is ‘SAVE LIVES: Clean your hands‘.
Some Amazing Facts of Hand Washing
Frequent handwashing is a simple way to stay healthy. It offers several health benefits such as:
- Experts warned that dirty hands are responsible for 80 percent of respiratory tract infections such as cold and the flu. Hand hygiene is one of the most important methods to prevent and stop the spread of coronavirus disease.
- Regular and diligent handwashing helps prevent diarrhea and intestinal illnesses. Contact with fecal matter and bacteria can lead to diarrhea and intestinal disease, however, good handwashing helps remove these germs and bacteria from your hands.
- Good hand hygiene can help you avoid common eye infections, which can be caused by bacteria and germs that get into your eyes from your hands.
- As stated above, regular handwashing is important for creating a safer working environment for healthcare workers and patients.
- Practicing good hygiene such as proper handwashing will keep your hands free from disease-causing pathogens – just ensure that you pat extra attention to underneath your nails.
- Dirty hands can also lead to other health issues. Touching our face with unclean hands can transfer germs to the skin leading to breakouts, blackheads, etc. In people with sensitive skin, it can cause redness and rashes.
What is the right way to wash your hands?
Take some soap and create a lather. Clean the back of your hands, in between your fingers, the end of your fingers, thumb, palms, wrist, and the top of your hand again. Rinse the soap from your hands. Turn off the tap with a tissue to prevent cross-contamination. Discard the tissue in a bin. It should take you around 20 seconds to wash your hands properly (sing the Happy Birthday song twice if you like!).
In case you are traveling, make sure to keep a good-quality alcohol-based hand sanitizer with you. This can be as effective as washing hands with soap and water.
