Hand-washing vitalintackling coronavirus
LOCAL food and safety hygiene consultant David Power has been among those hoping to stress the importance of proper hand-washing as we battle to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
In his role as the Wexford representative of the Food Safety Professionals Association, Mr
Power has long been a proponent of proper hand hygiene, something which in the current climate is more important than ever. He has trained extensively on the topic and is a licensed trainer with the Environmental Health Offices Association and also with the National Food Hygiene Partnership.
‘Coronavirus particles are surrounded by a fatty outer layer which will fall apart on contact with soap,’ Mr Power said. ‘Soap and water will remove the virus from your hands if you lather up.’
In terms of how we should be washing our hands, Mr Power gave the following instructions:
Wet hands under warm running water. Use sufficient soap to form a good lather. Systematically rub all parts of hands. Lather for 10-15 seconds minimum, vigorously and thoroughly rubbing all hand surfaces including fingertips, thumbs, wrists and particularly rub palms of hands as they are sometimes missed.
Rinse hands thoroughly and dry, preferably using paper towels or tissues. Be sure to discard these after use to prevent cross contamination.
If there is no water at hand, he recommended having a hand sanitiser or gel that contains at least 60% alcohol as being the best bet, rubbing the hands for at least 20 seconds.
‘It’s a good idea to clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces,’ Mr Power concluded.
‘ This includes tables, door knobs, light switches, bench tops, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets and sinks.
‘You can use 0.5% hydrogen peroxide bleach or household bleach containing 0.1% sodium hypochlorite.’