Handwashing Matters

Many of the diseases begin with physical contact.

These contact diseases are transmitted when an infected person has direct physical contact with an uninfected person, and the microbe is passed from one to another. Contact diseases can also be spread indirectly when a healthy person touches an infected person’s items or environment.

We use our hands for most of our daily activities; thus, hand washing is one helpful precaution to create a barrier and eliminate bacteria from spreading in the environment or personal belongings.

According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control or Prevention), studies have also shown that educating handwashing in the communities can reach the following results, such as:

• Reduce the number of people who get sick with diarrhea by 23–40%
• reduce the number of school days missing due to gastrointestinal by 29–57%
• reduce diarrheal illness in a person with a weakened immune system by 58%
• reduce respiratory-related disease in the general population, such as cold or flue by 16–21%

Moreover, the CDC provided five easy steps to clean our hands thoroughly:

1. Wet hands with clean water
2. Lather hands by rubbing them with soap
3. Scrub hand by at least 20 seconds
4. Rinse hands with clean water
5. Dry hands using a clean towel or air dry.

We have been washing our hands since childhood, and it feels like a habitual routine rather than a profound “tactic” for disease prevention. Reading CDC’s studies and handwashing guideline remind us of a WELL feature.

“Implement strategies to reduce human contact with respiratory particles and surfaces that may carry pathogens.” — WELL X12, β Contact Reduction

At Handwashing Awareness Week, we dedicate this card to those who value personal hygiene. Thank them for keeping our communities healthy.

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According to WELL guidelines, a hands-free operation must be implemented in at least three of the following areas: the pedestrian entry door, the elevators, the bottle filler/ water fountain, window blinds, interior light switches, or the trashcan lid.