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How to best wash your hands to stop the spread of coronavirus
To avoid the further spreading of the virus and ensure we’re doing our best to stay healthy, among the necessary -- and easiest -- precautions is to wash our hands.
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Soap should be used liberally (about three pumps) and hands should be rubbed together swiftly, ensuring the backs of hands and the in-betweens of fingers are washed too. (Shutterstock/Alexander Raths)
T
he coronavirus that causes the disease COVID-19 continues to spread as the number of confirmed cases around the world totals almost 45,000.
To avoid the further spreading of the virus and to ensure we’re doing our best to stay healthy, among the necessary -- and easiest -- precautions is to wash our hands.
Read also: Wash your hands after touching these seven things
As reported by HuffPost, the virus can either spread when droplets of infected bodily fluids, such as saliva or mucus, are dispersed through the air or onto surfaces. Much like any virus or winter bug one sure way to kill any germs is to wash your hands, and ensure you wash them for long enough.
According to the UK's National Health Service, you should wash your hands with warm water and soap for about 20 seconds, the same amount of time it takes to sing Happy Birthday twice. Soap should be used liberally (about three pumps) and hands should be rubbed together swiftly, ensuring the backs of hands and the in-betweens of fingers are washed too.
If soap and water aren’t available, you can always opt for hand sanitizer to get rid of any unfriendly germs.
In other terms of self-protection, you are also advised to cover your face with a tissue or your elbow when sneezing or coughing and avoid direct contact with live animals in affected areas as the animals can carry the virus. (mad/kes)
