It's a skill you probably learned as a toddler, but most people in the U.S. still haven't mastered it: Washing your hands.Multiple studies have shown people don't wash their hands as much as they should — and when they do, they often do it ineffectively. But many people don't see the problem.“People think that they do wash their hands properly ... they have this concept of, ‘yes, I’ve done it correctly,’" Mindy Brashears, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety, told USA TODAY.That misconception is concerning to many experts who worry that widespread bad hand-washing techniques could allow diseases like the new coronavirus Covid-19 to spread more easily.Here's what experts want you to know.Your guide to coronavirus: Everything you need to know about Covid-19, the deadly virus alarming the worldWhy should I wash my hands?Because when done correctly, hand-washing does a great job of preventing the spread of germs, helping keep you and others healthy.That was underscored by a study published in December suggesting the worldwide spread of disease could be significantly lowered if more people traveling through 10 key airports would just wash their hands correctly.The majority of travelers are constantly contaminating the things they touch with the germs they carry on their hands, study co-author Christos Nicolaides, a fellow at the MIT Sloan School of Management, explained in a release.“If we go now to any airport in the world, on average we find that 1 out of 5 people will have clean hands," Nicolaides told USA TODAY.Raising the number of travelers to 3-in-5 could slow the global spread of disease by almost 70%, the study suggested.Can face masks fend off coronavirus?:Officials warn that they offer minimal protectionIn the face of a possible coronavirus pandemic spreading primarily through travel, good hand-washing habits should be taken more seriously, experts say.“If people would just wash their hands, it would go a long way to preventing ... the spread of illnesses,” Brashears said.Am I washing my hands correctly?Statistically, probably not.Brashears cited USDA studies about hand-washing during food prep involving raw meat — a time when most people know they should be washing their hands. Instead, nearly everyone did it wrong.“I have been very stunned at the data,” she said. People were recorded while they prepped the food and researchers later reviewed the footage to see if people were effectively washing their hands. They weren't.People didn't wash long enough; they forgot the soap sometimes; they accidentally cross-contaminated food.That's one of the reasons Brashears has made hand-washing education a priority: “We don’t want to wait for the next catastrophic event.” This college was accredited. We couldn’t find evidence of students or faculty. 'Massive' 20-foot great white shark leaves Florida divers in awe France announces the first death of a coronavirus patient in Europe Download the USA TODAY mobile
You're likely washing your hands wrong and don't even know it, experts say
It's a skill you probably learned as a toddler, but most people in the U.S. still haven't mastered it: Washing your hands.Multiple studies have shown people don't wash their hands as much as they should — and when they do, they often do it ineffectively. But many people don't see the problem.“People think that they do wash their hands properly ... they have this concept of, ‘yes, I’ve done it correctly,’" Mindy Brashears, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety, told USA TODAY.That misconception is concerning to many experts who worry that widespread bad hand-washing techniques could allow diseases like the new coronavirus Covid-19 to spread more easily.Here's what experts want you to know.Your guide to coronavirus: Everything you need to know about Covid-19, the deadly virus alarming the worldWhy should I wash my hands?Because when done correctly, hand-washing does a great job of preventing the spread of germs, helping keep you and others healthy.That was underscored by a study published in December suggesting the worldwide spread of disease could be significantly lowered if more people traveling through 10 key airports would just wash their hands correctly.The majority of travelers are constantly contaminating the things they touch with the germs they carry on their hands, study co-author Christos Nicolaides, a fellow at the MIT Sloan School of Management, explained in a release.“If we go now to any airport in the world, on average we find that 1 out of 5 people will have clean hands," Nicolaides told USA TODAY.Raising the number of travelers to 3-in-5 could slow the global spread of disease by almost 70%, the study suggested.Can face masks fend off coronavirus?:Officials warn that they offer minimal protectionIn the face of a possible coronavirus pandemic spreading primarily through travel, good hand-washing habits should be taken more seriously, experts say.“If people would just wash their hands, it would go a long way to preventing ... the spread of illnesses,” Brashears said.Am I washing my hands correctly?Statistically, probably not.Brashears cited USDA studies about hand-washing during food prep involving raw meat — a time when most people know they should be washing their hands. Instead, nearly everyone did it wrong.“I have been very stunned at the data,” she said. People were recorded while they prepped the food and researchers later reviewed the footage to see if people were effectively washing their hands. They weren't.People didn't wash long enough; they forgot the soap sometimes; they accidentally cross-contaminated food.That's one of the reasons Brashears has made hand-washing education a priority: “We don’t want to wait for the next catastrophic event.” This college was accredited. We couldn’t find evidence of students or faculty. 'Massive' 20-foot great white shark leaves Florida divers in awe France announces the first death of a coronavirus patient in Europe Download the USA TODAY mobile
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