Hand hygiene for infection prevention against COVID-19

by: Chris Packham

Hand hygiene as a method of infection prevention

Hand hygiene is probably the most important measure that the individual person can adopt in the attempt to prevent, or at least minimise, the possibility of infection with the COVID-19 virus. However, it is essential to ensure that the method of hand hygiene adopted and the way in which it is then carried out is such that the risk of skin contact with the virus and colonisation is genuinely minimised.

It is highly likely that in our day to day life our hands will come into contact with surfaces that are contaminated with the COVID-19 virus and thus become contaminated. This then raises the possibility that we transfer the virus to the face and it is then able to enter the body and cause infection. Another consequence is that the virus can colonise the skin, without our being aware of this, with the result that we transfer it to other surfaces, or through contact with other persons directly to them, ensuring the spread of infection.

What is important, therefore, is that the hands are regularly decontaminated. Considerable experience in hand decontamination exists within the healthcare sector and this should form the basis of hand decontamination among the general public.

There are two main approaches to hand decontamination, the first being the removal of the virus, the second the inactivation of the virus such that even if transferred it can cause no harm.