Hand sanitising is the “new normal” and we find ourselves splashing hand sanitiser on every time we walk into a shop, cafe or office. I see so many people half heartedly splashing on some hand sanitiser, and wonder how often they are washing their hands thoroughly.
Before you decide I am telling you how to suck eggs, and wash your hands correctly, let´s look at some of the evidence that describes how poorly people are protecting themselves with this simple, cheap and effective virus protection.
As the WHO says, prevention is easier than cure!
Studies done by Wahrman, the Author of “The Hand Book: Surviving in a Germ-Filled World,” show that after urinating, 69% of women washed their hands, and only 43% of men. After defecation, 84% of women and 78% of men washed their hands. And before eating a critical time to wash your hands – 10% of men and 7% of women washed their hands. This is a fascinating book that I highly recommend. It will totally transform your life and blow your mind!
Now, keep in mind that these statistics do not include touching the face, jewellery or another risk factors linked to the spread of COVID 19.
WHO suggests, in the present condition, wash your hands frequently and carefully. Use a good antibacterial soap. Wash for at least 20 seconds up to your wrist. Do this practice twice in an hour.
While Alcohol hand gels can be used as an alternative to hand washing and you need to be thorough with gel, and use the same technique we will discuss in this article. Keep in mind that gel formulas must have final concentrations of 80% ethanol or 75% isopropyl alcohol concentrations. A final concentration of 80% ethanol or 75% isopropyl alcohol recommended in the USP hand sanitizer toolkit are aligned with WHO.
Regular and effective hand washing is the single most important thing you can do to reduce infections. What many people do not realise is that Hand hygiene involves not only washing your hands, but also drying them thoroughly.
You can wash your hands really well and remove the problem germs, but if you then walk away with your hands still damp, more germs will attach themselves and your effort will have been wasted.
In hand washing audits I carried out on our Emergency Ward, I found many people were missing key areas, the finger tips, webs of fingers, and thumbs were frequently missed (see the diagram below).
It is also important to remind you that jewlery such as rings and watches carry loads of bacteria. In studies I did in Microbiology school, most people carried more bacteria and feral matter on rings and watches than we found on toilet seats! So remember to wipe your jewllery with alcohol or hot soapy water regularly. If you remove the band prior to handwashing and then put in back on after your hands are clean, you just recontaminated your hands.
When to perform hand hygiene
There are numerous occasions during your day when you need to perform hand hygiene. Germs can get onto your hands by a number of means, including:
- People coughing or sneezing close to you or touching your hands
- touching surfaces, furnishings, fittings and equipment in public areas or even in your guests living spaces.
Here are some of the most important times for hand hygiene.
You must also perform hand hygiene:
- before putting on your mask or gloves and after taking it off
- before giving the guests food or drinks
- after making the guests bed
- after removing any waste from the guest’s living area.
And of course, you should perform hand hygiene:
- before eating
- after using the toilet
- after covering your own mouth and nose while coughing or sneezing
- after using a disposable tissue
- when you start and finish work.
It’s really important to note, however, that there will be other times when you’ll feel you need to perform hand hygiene – it all depends on the situation you’re in and how you feel you can best protect your guests, your crew and yourself.
So, let´s discuss a good hand washing technique.
- Turn on the water and make sure it is nice and warm.
- Wet the wrists and hands
- Add a generous layer of soap, about one teaspoon of measure is enough.
- Lather the hands and wrists. It is important to note that the top of the body is cleaner than extremities an it is recommended to start at the top of the wrists and work your way down the hands.
- Scrub the soap onto the hands using circular motions and be sure to cover finger webs and wash each finger & thumb independently. Do this for at least 20 seconds, however a good hand wash will usually take 2 minutes.
- Rinse the soap off by allowing to flow downward, off the hand (so you do not recontaminate the upper parts of the hand, be careful not to touch the sink.
- Use a paper towel to dry the hands by dabbing each hand with paper towel. Do not rub back and forth, this can also spread bacteria and can break down the skin causing dermatitis.
- Once hands are dry discard paper towel. Use another one to turn off the tap and then use one more to open the door to the bathroom when you exit.
Studies prove time and time again that hand washing works. It is believed that if you washed your hands five to 10 times more than usual, that would reduce your risk by 25%. In a pandemic such as COVID 19 this is pretty much all you’ve got.
Ok, so time is up, go and wash your hands!
References
- Kratzel A, Toft D, V’kovski P, Steiner S, Gultrom M, Thao TTN, et al. Inactivation of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 by WHO-recommended hand rub formulations and alcohols. Emerg Infect Dis. 2020 Jul [date cited]. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2607.200915external icon
- Siddharta A, Pfaender S, Vielle NJ, Dijkman R, et al. Virucidal activity of World Health Organization recommended formulations against enveloped viruses include Zika, Ebola, and emerging Coronaviruses. J Infect Dis. 2017
- CDC Core Practices for Infection Prevention in All Healthcare Settings (2017).
- Food and Drug Administration. Safety and effectiveness for health care antiseptics: Topical antimicrobial drug products for over-the-counter human use (final rule)external icon
. - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Guidelines for
hand hygiene in healthcare settings (2002).
- Kampf G, Todt D, Pfaender S, Steinmann E. Persistence of coronaviruses on inanimate surfaces and its inactivation with biocidal agentsexternal icon
. J Hosp Infect. 2020. - Miryam Z. Wahrman, The Hand Book, Surviving in a Germ Filled World, Amazon, 2016
