Corona Panic!

Since the world is in panic mode about Coronavirus, I thought it would be a good time to revisit the tried and true BEST first line of defense against germs. Say it with me now, WASH YA HANDS!!!!! Wash em ya filthy animal!

Coronavirus is passed from person to person like any other respiratory illness, you cough, sneeze, touch your face, and then touch something or someone else. Bright note though, it doesn’t seem to like children very much, probably because they are cesspools of disease and pestilence.

First things first, stop wasting your money on N95 masks. They need to be properly fitted to ensure a correct fit that will not be penetrated by any droplets, and if you aren’t also wearing eye protection, then you really haven’t protected anything. You’re also contributing to a problem creating, a shortage for the health care workers that actually need them.

Just like with ANY virus, the first line of defense is not panic, it’s doing something you should already be doing…washing your hands! And seeing how soap and hand sanitizer is selling out, I’m a little concerned about what ya’ll have been doing. Possibly how we got in this mess.

The following hand washing facts show just how easily hands can spread bacteria:

• Globally, only one in five people wash their hands after using the bathroom.
• The average office worker’s hands come into contact with 10 million bacteria per day.
• An estimated 61% of healthcare professionals do not clean their hands correctly.
• Around 50% of hospital-acquired infections can be easily avoided through better hand hygiene.
• Contaminated hands can transfer viruses to more than 5 surfaces or 14 other objects.
• Damp hands spread 1,000 times more bacteria than dry hands.
• Bacteria can stay alive on hands for up to 3 hours.

So how do you CORRECTLY wash your hands, yes you can do it wrong.

• Step 1: Wet Hands. Wet your hands and apply enough liquid soap to create a good lather.
• Step 2: Rub Palms Together. Rub your hands palm to palm in circular motions. Rotate clockwise and anticlockwise.
• Step 3: Rub the Back of Hands. With your fingers linked through the other hand, use your right palm to rub the back of your left hand. Then swap.
• Step 4: Interlink Your Fingers. Link your fingers together, facing each other, into clasped hands. Then rub your palms and fingers together.
• Step 5: Cup Your Fingers. Cup your fingers together, with your right hand over and your left hand under. With your fingers interlocked, rub the backs of them against your palms. Then swap.
• Step 6: Clean the Thumbs. Enclose your right hand around your left thumb and rub as you rotate it, then swap.
• Step 7: Rub Palms with Your Fingers. Rub your fingers over your left palm in a circular motion, then swap.

You want to wash your hands for 20 seconds, which is the equivalent of singing “Happy Birthday” twice. Once you’ve followed these hand washing steps, you should then thoroughly rinse with warm running water and dry with a clean, disposable paper towel. Paper towels are the most hygienic way to dry your hands. If your taps have a push and release or automatic feature, use this as instructed. If not, you should use a disposable paper towel to turn off the tap.

So maybe singing “Happy Birthday” to yourself isn’t really your jam, don’t worry we’ve included multiple songs that have a chorus to become your new hand washing mantra. Just sing the chorus twice and wash away all the germs.

Prince – Raspberry Beret (“She wore a raspberry beret / The kind you find in a secondhand store / Raspberry beret / And if it was warm she wouldn’t wear much more / Raspberry beret / I think I love her”)

Dolly Parton – Jolene (“Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene / I’m begging of you please don’t take my man / Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene / Please don’t take him just because you can”)

Toto – Africa (“It’s gonna take a lot to drag me away from you / There’s nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do / I bless the rains down in Africa / Gonna take some time to do the things we never had”)

Lizzo – Truth Hurts (“Why men great ‘til they gotta be great? / Don’t text me, tell it straight to my face / Best friend sat me down in the salon chair / Shampoo press, get you out of my hair / Fresh photos with the bomb lighting / New man on the Minnesota Vikings / Truth hurts, needed something more exciting / Bom bom bi dom bi dum bum bay”)

Fleetwood Mac – Landslide ( “Well, I’ve been afraid of changin’ / ‘Cause I’ve built my life around you / But time makes you bolder / Even children get older / And I’m gettin’ older too”)

Belinda Carlisle – Heaven on Earth (“Ooh, baby, do you know what that’s worth? / Ooh, heaven is a place on Earth / They say in heaven love comes first / We’ll make heaven a place on Earth / Ooh, heaven is a place on Earth”)

Culture Club – Karma Chameleon ( “Karma, karma, karma, karma, karma chameleon / You come and go, you come and go / Loving would be easy if your colors were like my dreams / Red, gold and green, red, gold and green”)

Beyonce – Love on Top ( “Baby it’s you / You’re the one I love / You’re the one I need / You’re the only one I see / Come on baby it’s you / You’re the one that gives your all / You’re the one I can always call / When I need to make everything stop / Finally you put my love on top”)

Find your jam, wash your hands, stay healthy!

If using hand sanitizer until you able to fully wash your hands, make sure that it has 60% alcohol.

Sources include:

The 7 Steps of Hand Washing – Free Poster

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2020-03-03/coronavirus-hand-washing-20-seconds-happy-birthday-10-songs

https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/index.html