WHY DO YOU NEED TO WASH YOUR HANDS?
Washing your hands well is one of the best ways to stop the spread of coronavirus, as well as other viruses and germs. Washing your hands can remove the virus from your hands, meaning that you then cannot pass it directly onto other people or put it on surfaces. You should also avoid touching your face, especially if you have not washed your hands, and try to keep away from other people: https://rightforeducation.org/2020/04/08/social-distancing/
You should wash your hands as often as you can, especially after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing. Other times you should wash your hands include before you eat or handle food, after using the toilet, after touching animals (including pets), before and after treating a cut or wound, and after changing a nappy.
HOW DO YOU WASH YOUR HANDS EFFECTIVELY?
When you wash your hands, you should use soap and hot water, if possible. You should wash your hands for at least 20 seconds – this is about the amount of time it takes to hum or sing the ‘Happy Birthday’ song twice.
You need to make sure that you wash all parts of your hand well, including all your fingers and thumbs:
- Wet your hands.
- Apply liquid soap to your palm, or rub solid soap between your palms
- Rub your hands together.
- Use 1 hand to rub the back of the other hand and clean in between the fingers. Do the same with the other hand.
- Rub your hands together and clean in between your fingers.
- Rub the back of your fingers against your palms.
- Rub your thumb using your other hand. Do the same with the other thumb.
- Rub the tips of your fingers on the palm of your other hand. Do the same with other hand.
- Rub around each wrist.
- Rinse your hands with water.
- Try to dry your hands completely with a towel you will wash often.
- Try to use your elbows or a disposable tissue or cloth to turn off the tap – because the tap will still have germs and the virus on it.
The Ndlovu Youth Choir, in South Africa, have written and performed two short songs about how you can stop coronavirus:
Ndlovu Youth Choir – We’ve Got This – Fight against Coronavirus/COVID-19.
Ndlovu Youth Choir – Wash Your Hands – Coronavirus Prevention
And here, students in Uganda learned the Project WET hand washing song: https://vimeo.com/11719873
The message: wash your hands, don’t touch your face, and keep distance from other people, including doctors!
