Global Handwashing Day 2020: Prepare your hands to cuddle and care

DN Bureau

As the only possible way to beat the coronavirus before its vaccine is invented is through maintaing personal hygiene, the significance of global handwashing day has increased several folds this year.

File Photo
File Photo


New Delhi: As the only possible way to beat the coronavirus before its vaccine is invented is through maintaing personal hygiene, the significance of global handwashing day has increased several folds this year.

Ever since the outbreak of coronavirus, multiple hand-washing challenges have been doing rounds on the internet with several celebrated personalities took up the challenge to spread awareness about the importance of hand-washing to combat the highly contagious virus.

To understand how the pandemic has made hand-washing more important than ever, ANI spoke to health experts on the occasion of global handwashing day.

"Hands are the main pathways of germ transmission in general or during health care. Proper hand hygiene is the single most important means for preventing the spread of infection," said Dr Soumya Reddy V, Consultant - General Physician, Apollo Telehealth.

The action of hand antisepsis practice is generally performed either by hand rubbing with an alcohol-based formulation (Ethanol-based or isopropyl alcohol-based formulations) or handwashing with plain or antimicrobial soap and water for 20 seconds or more.

When asked about the significance of washing hands for the time period of 20 seconds or more, Dr Inder Kumar Kasturia, Consultant, Family Medicine at Aakash Healthcare said, "When we rub our hands with soap and water for 20 seconds or more, it rips the outer layer of the virus and enables the components of the soap to kill it."

This can help in killing the potential coronavirus molecules on the surface of our hands.

"Washing hands with only water may not be helpful, nor will it help if we just touch the water and dry our hands," added Dr Inder.

Knowing the importance of handwashing, the World Health Organisation had rolled out a global campaign 'SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands.'

Started in 2008, Global Handwashing Day is an annual global awareness day promoting handwashing with soap as an easy, effective and affordable way to prevent diseases and save lives.

The Day was founded by the Global Handwashing Partnership and is an opportunity to design, test and replicate creative ways to encourage people to wash their hands with soap at critical times. Global Handwashing Day is celebrated every year on October 15. (ANI)










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