European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

HAND HYGIENE – AN EFFECTIVE PREVENTIVE MEASURE AGAINST COVID-19

Syed Uzair Mahmood, Summaya Aftab, Aleena Baig, Erum Choudry*, Sheharyar Khan and Syed Roshaan Ahmed

ABSTRACT

As healthcare organizations scramble to find out the definitive cure for corona virus, organizations like World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention laid the foundation of the preventive measures against the deadly virus. Hand hygiene is the single most important preventive measure. Simply washing hands for 20 seconds following the five steps and seven techniques of hand hygiene can protect an individual from catching the deadly virus. The most commonly used are beauty and antibacterial soaps. All soaps function similarly, by creating a micelles around the pathogen and removing it from the surface of the skin. Moreover analysis should be done regarding the use of hand sanitizers as a replacement of soap and water in wading off COVID-19. During this global pandemic, public health specialists should promote preventive measures for COVID-19 as the public undermines the most important preventive measure i.e. hand washing.

Keywords: COVID-19, Hand Hygiene, Hand Washing, Infection prevention, Infection control.