Pandemic Handwashing Still Matters

COVID-19 inspired people to wash their hands frequently with soap to reduce the risk of transmitting the virus—at least at first. Staff at a Chicago hospital reported washing their hands on 75.5 percent of the required occasions (for example, before entering a patient’s room) at the height of the pandemic’s first wave in April 2020. By August of the same year, they were back to their pre-pandemic compliance levels of around 55 percent. Outside of hospitals, it’s likely that the rest of us are sliding back into subpar habits as well. Even as COVID cases subside, there are still reasons to maintain high handwashing standards. These include preventing the spread of the common cold, diarrhea, and especially the flu, which remains a major cause of death.