NCOV-19 is here and we have two choices, panic, or do whatever we can to prevent and lessen its spread. Here’s the best thing you can do to prevent NCOV-19, wash your hands.
Why Hand-washing and not Hand Sanitizers?
We recommend that you wash your hands with soap and water whenever possible. If soap and water are not present, the next best thing is to use a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. According to the CDC, “Soap and water are more effective than hand sanitizers at removing certain kinds of germs… Although alcohol-based hand sanitizers can inactivate many types of microbes very effectively when used correctly… people may not use a large enough volume of the sanitizers or may wipe it off before it has dried…” Further, “Hand sanitizers may not be as effective when hands are visibly dirty or greasy.”
When should you Wash your Hands?
Again the CDC recommends that you should wash your hands often with soap and water, allotting at least 20 seconds for each wash. They also recommend that you should wash your hands:
- After Sneezing, blowing your nose or coughing
- After using the restroom
- Before preparing food or eating
- After touching a pet or any animal
- Before and after providing care for someone else – particularly children or people with compromised immunity.
- After touching garbage
Note that in general, these are hygiene practices that you should do with or without a global pandemic.
Mambo No. 5
There are 5 steps that the CDC recommends for hand-washing:
- Wet your hands under running water. Turn off the water and apply soap.
- Lather your hands by rubbing them together. Lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers and under your nails.
- Scrub your entire hand for at least 20 seconds.
- Rinse off the soap under running water.
- Dry your hands with a clean towel or air-dry them.
-
Hand Washing Guide from the World Health Organization
So what is 20 seconds? There are several guides to determine what 20 seconds of scrubbing would entail. The easiest way to remember would be to sing or hum while scrubbing. Our go-to-song for 20 seconds of scrubbing would be, Lou Vega’s Mambo Number 5:
A little bit of Monica in my life
A little bit of Erica by my side
A little bit of Rita is all I need
A little bit of Tina is what I see
A little bit of Sandra in the sun
A little bit of Mary all night long
A little bit of Jessica, here I am
A little bit of you makes me your man
Alternatives include Britney Spears:
My loneliness is killing me (and I)
I must confess I still believe (still believe)
When I’m not with you I lose my mind
Give me a sign
Hit me, baby, one more time
If you’re not into pop music, there’s Broadway – but you have to really emote:
Memory
All alone in the moonlight
I can smile at the old days (I was beautiful then)
I remember the time I knew what happiness was
Let the memory live again
And finally, for the geeks, here’s one of the most rousing speeches from Lord of the Rings:
Arise, arise, Riders of Théoden!
spear shall be shaken, shield shall be splintered,
a sword-day, a red day, ere the sun rises!
Ride now, ride now, ride! Ride for ruin and the world’s ending!
Death! Death! Death!
Forth Eorlingas!
You probably shouldn’t do that in a public rest-room.
