Hands heavy with dirt, disease, and devilish deed doers touch our lives every day.
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According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report, (10/2018) handwashing with soap could protect about 1 out of every 3 young children who get sick with diarrhea and almost 1 out of 5 young children with respiratory infections like pneumonia.
Feces (poop) from people or animals is an important source of germs like Salmonella, E.coli 0157, and norovirus that cause diarrhea, and it can spread some respiratory infections like adenovirus and hand-foot-mouth disease.
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Germs get into our bodies through our eyes, nose, and mouth. Proper handwashing with soap removes germs from our hands and helps prevent sickness.
Teaching people about proper handwashing helps them stay healthy.
- Reduces the #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%
- Handwashing kills bacteria, reducing the risk of infection with two common viruses up to 77% according to the research of the Archives of Environmental & Occupational Health
92% of telephones are contaminated with bacteria such as staphylococci and E. coli.
$260 Billion is the annual cost of missed work and lost productivity due to illness.
100% is the reduction in bacteria after cleaning a keyboard with an antibacterial wipe.
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So, what is the right way to wash your hands?
- Wet your hands with clean running water (warm) and apply soap
- Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap
- Scrub all surfaces of your hands, including the palms, backs, fingers, between your fingers, and under your nails. Keep scrubbing for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song twice.
- Rinse your hands under clean, running water
- Dry your hands using a clean towel and towel or air dry them.
Proper handwashing is one of the most effective things we can do to prevent the spreading of disease. Soap and flowing water together are the most effective combination, as the two help wash the germs away from the skin.
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Wash your hands often especially after you go to the bathroom and before you eat.
