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by user_50123890
2167 days ago
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Handwashing is overrated IMO. Yes, it's important for doctors and nurses(who touch dozens of sick humans a day), people who are in contact with animals, and small kids who don't have any concept of hygiene. But for the average adult, they just do not have that many harmful bacteria or viruses randomly on their hands. This caused some major issues with the Coronavirus. Eg. if you googled anything related to it in march, the search results displayed a "wash your hands message" even though the virus is spread by droplets AKA sharing air indoors with an infected person. I can only imagine how many unnecessary infections and deaths this caused when people thought they were safe if they just washed their hands often. To this day, I'd say about half of the population has no clue how respitory diseases spread. |
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There's a fecal-oral route for covid-19, which is why the protocols for people who share a home with someone infected with covid-19 all mention using a separate (if possible) toilet, or making sure the room is cleaned thoroughly after each use.
EG, this from CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/ca...
> If possible, have the person who is sick use a separate bedroom and bathroom. If possible, have the person who is sick stay in their own “sick room” or area and away from others. Try to stay at least 6 feet away from the sick person.
Handwashing remains a crucial part of the set of protection measures against covid-19 and other respiratory disease.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2446461/
> Improvements in hand hygiene resulted in reductions in gastrointestinal illness of 31% (95% confidence intervals [CI]=19%, 42%) and reductions in respiratory illness of 21% (95% CI=5%, 34%). The most beneficial intervention was hand-hygiene education with use of nonantibacterial soap. Use of antibacterial soap showed little added benefit compared with use of nonantibacterial soap.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5781206/
> There was moderate to low‐quality evidence of a reduction in both influenza and respiratory tract infection with hand hygiene interventions in schools, greatest in a lower–middle‐income setting. There was high‐quality evidence of a small reduction in respiratory infection in childcare settings. There was high‐quality evidence for a large reduction in respiratory infection with a hand hygiene intervention in squatter settlements in a low‐income setting. There was moderate‐ to high‐quality evidence of no effect on secondary transmission of influenza in households that had already experienced an index case. While hand hygiene interventions have potential to reduce transmission of influenza and acute respiratory tract infections, their effectiveness varies depending on setting, context and compliance.