48% of U.S. adults admitted to not washing their hands
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA-- In a survey conducted by the National Foundation for Infectious diseases (NFID) 48% of survey respondents admitted to forgetting or choosing not to wash their hands.
"It's critical, I know that we just came out of a massive pandemic, but people need to continue to practice hygiene habits." said Dr. Jagdish Khubchandani, Professor of Public Health at NMSU.
Handwashing doesn't just protect you but also those around you. According to NFID, 80% of infectious diseases are spread by dirty hands.
The following is the proper way to wash you having according to the CDC
- Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap.
- Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
- Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.
- Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.
- Dry your hands using a clean towel or an air dryer.
Dr. Khubchandani said drying your hands properly is important as well. "Germs do tend to stick to moisture. So if you are washing your hands and then coming out and using doorknobs, handles in the public places essentially you did not clean your hands much."
El Pasoans tell ABC-7 singing "Happy Birthday" or the ABC's song twice helps them ensure they have scrubbed for enough time.
The CDC says key times to wash your hands are as follows
- Before, during, and after preparing food
- Before and after 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
