As the Covid-19 coronavirus spreads throughout the globe, health officials say hand-washing is one way people can protect themselves. After using the bathroom, touching your face or sneezing, and before eating, scrub with soap and water for 20 seconds – or about the time it takes to sing Happy Birthday twice – the Centres For Disease Control And Prevention recommends.
“There are some studies that have shown us that the amount of microbes on your hands is reduced more when you wash your hands for longer, ” says Janet Baseman, a professor of epidemiology at the University Of Washington School Of Public Health. The detergent in soap removes microbes from your hands, and the longer you scrub the more microbes it can remove, she says.