As we mark the 12th annual Global Handwashing Day, it seems that good hand hygiene—the most effective protection against infectious diseases—has never been as important as it this year in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Handwashing as a protection against infections
Although a large part of the Western population is aware of the health benefits of thorough handwashing, around 19% do not wash their hands for long enough, according to a study by the Federal Centre for Health Education (BZgA). Only 81% wash their hands for the recommended 20 seconds. To ensure greater awareness of this issue the Federal Centre of Health Education has launched the initiative “Where were your hands today?“
This series of posters is intended to make the importance of hand hygiene clear to the public by showing everyday situations in which people could come into contact with pathogens. This includes paying with (and without) cash, pressing the stop button on the bus, touching door handles, and many other common scenarios. If our hands come into contact with pathogens, they can enter the body through the mouth, nose and eyes, which can than lead to an infection.
In order to prevent this from happening, the posters will be displayed in public washrooms throughout Germany beginning at the end of October. With their help, the population is meant to be encouraged to maintain good hand hygiene. The BZgA´s initiative is based entirely on the motto “Pathogens can not be seen. Washing hands protects!“
Handwashing, how do I do it right?
Only those who wash their hands regularly and thoroughly can protect themselves and others from infectious diseases. It is not only a matter of duration, which is meant to last at least 20 seconds, but also a matter of how you do it. For a hand washing event to be successful, sufficient soap and water must be used. The spaces between the hands and fingernails must not be forgotten under any circumstances. It is also essential to dry your hands thoroughly.
Since 2008, we have been celebrating the Global Handwashing Day on 15 October each year, which was initiated by the World Health Organization (WHO). In the course of this we would like to refer to a short video from the Leverkusen Clinic, which shows very clearly how thorough handwashing works properly and how soap is used correctly. (only available in German)
We at OPHARDT Hygiene are constantly working to create hygiene solutions for hand hygiene so that they can be made available in more areas of life. Our mission is to “break the chains of infection to live healthier lives in an increasingly globalized world.” We adapt our product range to the current situation and the needs of our customers. Thus we offer proven products SanTRAL® and ingo-man® as well as innovative and customized product series.
Sources:
https://www.bzga.de/presse/pressemitteilungen/2020-10-12-am-15-oktober-ist-welthaendewaschtag/
https://www.infektionsschutz.de/mediathek/filme/filme-zum-richtigen-haendewaschen/
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