Washing hands protects against diseases

Washing hands several times a day protects against infections

Today is the international hand hygiene day. In the course of this, the Federal Center for Health Education draws attention to the fact that washing hands several times a day can protect against dangerous infectious diseases. In order to wash your hands properly, it is important to clean your palms and the spaces between your fingers with commercially available soap. The washing process should be carried out thoroughly.

Numerous diseases are transmitted through a droplet or smear infection. The risk of infection increases if hand hygiene is neglected. It is therefore important not to wash your hands only once, but as often as possible several times a day.

Viruses and bacteria mostly attach themselves to door handles, banisters or other objects that are touched by many people. It is therefore important to wash your hands for at least half a minute if you come home from outside or handle food. Additional disinfectants are not necessary. In order to avoid transmission of infections, the Federal Center for Health Education advises not to sneeze into the room when sneezing or coughing, but rather into, for example, the crook of the arm or a disposable handkerchief.

When should your hands be washed?
Constantly washing your hands and avoiding social contacts is more than an exaggeration. As a rule of thumb, you should wash your hands when you return home, prepare a meal or use the toilet. If a family member has flu or a cold, the hands should also be washed thoroughly after contact. Most germs can be removed with a washing process. (sb)

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