As we elaborated in our previous blog post, you can find germs everywhere - including the air; on food, plants, and animals; in soil and water and on just about every other surface, including your body. This is why it is important to actually understand what germs really are, how they spread, and ultimately be aware of the key times that are recommended to sanitize and clean your hands.
What are germs:
- Tiny, invisible organisms (micro-organisms) that can cause infections
- Four major types: bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa
How Germs spread:
Germs can spread from other people or surfaces when you:
- Touch your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands
- Prepare or eat food and drinks with unwashed hands
- Touch a contaminated surface or objects
- Blow your nose, cough, or sneeze into hands and then touch other people’s hands or common objects
Key Times to Wash or Disinfect Hands
You can help yourself and your loved ones stay healthy by washing your hands regularly and disinfecting them whenever soap is not available. Especially during the following key times when you are likely to contract or spread germs:
- Before, during, and after preparing food
- Before eating food
- Before and after caring for someone at home who is sick with vomiting or diarrhea
- Before and after treating a cut or wound
- After using the toilet
- After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet
- After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
- After touching an animal, animal feed, or animal waste
- After handling pet food or pet treats
- After touching garbage
Given current Covid-19 circumstances also clean hands:
- After you have been in a public place and touched an item or surface that may be frequently touched by other people, such as door handles, tables, gas pumps, shopping carts, or electronic cashier registers/screens, etc.
- Before touching your eyes, nose, or mouth because that’s how germs enter our bodies.
If proper soap and water aren't readily available, use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. WHO even recommends using hand sanitizers with over 70% of alcohol in order to be effective against Covid-19. Rub your hands together until the sanitizer dries for about 20 seconds in order to ensure maximum effectiveness.
