October 15th, World Hand Hygiene Day

Shaking hands with virus-contaminated hands, touching door handles, elevator, cash dispenser buttons, contaminates every touched area with the virus, causing the spread of the disease. For this reason, it is very important for those who are sick to be careful not to pollute these places, not to bring their hands to their mouths, and to pay attention to hand hygiene.

Although our hands may seem clean, they can carry many disease-causing factors such as invisible bacteria, viruses and parasites. Just by hand washing; respiratory tract infections such as flu, diarrhea and pneumonia, especially colds, can be prevented from transmitting harmful microorganisms. Hand washing is the “simplest, most effective and cheapest” method.

In studies conducted in both developed and developing countries, there are results indicating that the frequency of hand washing is not at the desired level (Curtis, 2011). Hand washing is not a common habit all over the world. As we have seen in the coronavirus pandemic that we have been fighting since March 2020, it has been seen that hand washing is much more important than we expected for our health. On this special day; It is very important to realize the importance of hand washing and turn it into a habit. The purpose of this special day should not be limited to one day, but to ensure the continuity of hand washing with soap and water.

Although hand washing may seem simple, there are rules that must be followed and observed. Since they are the most frequently touched points on the hands, they contain more microorganisms, the right technique is that they should be washed in 15-20 seconds and especially the thumb, between the fingers and fingertips with the appropriate way. Because an effective hand hygiene can be achieved by applying the right washing technique every time.