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Handwashing has never been more popular than in these tough Covid-19 times. Celebrities challenge each other. With new songs, memes, and pop-ups popping up on social media every day, the trend of handwashing has gone viral.
Handwashing has been part of medical belief for decades, yet very few people have made it a habit.
According to the results of a national survey by Pharma Dynamics, before the Covid -19 outbreak, six out of ten South Africans who participated in the survey washed their hands regularly.
Nicole Jennings, a spokeswoman for Pharma Dynamics, said the outbreak has had a profound effect on a practice that the World Health Organization (WHO) and others have tried to instill in communities around the world for decades.
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Jennings said a study published in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, who investigated hand-washing practices in 51 countries between 2010 and 2013, found that, on average, only 19% of people wash their hands after using the bathroom.
“More than 1.6 million children under the age of five die annually from diarrhea and pneumonia in mainly poor countries.
“Many of these communities do not have access to soap and water, but the outbreak appears to have accelerated the delivery of water tanks and hygiene products to the poor and people living in remote areas around the world, almost overnight. the morning. The response from governments, private organizations and individuals has been extraordinary.
“We know that hand hygiene is one of the most effective ways to reduce the spread of Covid-19 and other pathogens.
Regular handwashing with soap and water reduces respiratory illnesses such as colds and flu by up to 21%, and gastrointestinal illnesses by 23-40%. Because Covid-19 is a “enveloped virus,” which has a layer of fat that helps it survive, hand washing is key.
Rinsing, rubbing, and rinsing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds will remove the virus from your skin, while breaking the envelope that protects it, disabling it, “Jennings explained.
While the government and others are responding to the crisis, millions of South Africans remain without access to water and sanitation.
Jennings said it would require a sustained effort from everyone, including the public. “Without running soap and water or enough hand sanitizers, infection rates could skyrocket among the poor.”
Jennings went on to say that Pharma Dynamics therefore urges the public to play their part on World Hand Hygiene Day this year.
Anyone can help, be it financial donations, hand sanitizers, or soap that will help improve overall hand hygiene.
This will make poor communities, and especially those with compromised immune systems and medical conditions such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, less vulnerable to the virus.
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