Dear Residents,
Due to the increase of COVID, RSV, and flu in the community, NWBRHC would like to provide a friendly reminder to practice good hand hygiene.
Germs are everywhere! Make handwashing with soap and water (and scrubbing for 20 seconds) a healthy habit to protect yourself, your family, and others from getting sick. Washing your hands can prevent the spread of germs.
Germs can spread from person to person or from surface to person when you:
Touch your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
Prepare or eat food and drinks with unwashed hands.
Touch surfaces or objects that have germs on them.
Blow your nose, cough, or sneeze into your hands, and then touch other people’s hands or common objects.
Below are some Hand Hygiene FAQs:
Do I really need to wash my hands for 20 seconds?
Scientific studies show that you need to scrub for 20 seconds to remove harmful germs from your hands. If you wash for a shorter time, you will not remove as many germs. Make sure to scrub all areas of your hands, including the palms and backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your fingernails.
How do hand sanitizers work differently than handwashing?
Alcohol-based hand sanitizers work by killing germs on your hands, while washing your hands with soap and water removes germs from your hands. Handwashing will remove all types of germs from your hands, but hand sanitizers cannot kill all types of germs or remove harmful chemicals like pesticides and heavy metals.
DO NOT use hand sanitizer if your hands are visibly dirty or greasy—for example, after gardening, playing outdoors, fishing, or camping. If a handwashing station is available, wash your hands with soap and water instead.
Do wipes remove germs?
Hand sanitizing wipes with at least 60% alcohol kill germs on your hands.
Baby wipes are not designed to remove germs from your hands, and CDC does not recommend using them to clean your hands. They may make your hands look clean, but baby wipes and similar products that do not have at least 60% alcohol do not reliably remove germs from your hands.
Disinfecting wipes are designed to kill germs on surfaces. Do not use disinfecting wipes to clean your skin because they may cause irritation. Always read and follow the directions on the label to use these products safely.
Source: CDC.gov
Take care and be well,
NWBRHC Staff
