Want to Avoid COVID-19? Here is How To Stop Touching Your Face

We all do it. We scratch our nose, touch our eyes, we wipe our mouth, and we do that all at least 16 times an hour.

With the current covid-19 pandemic, the WHO (World Health Organization) recommends avoiding touching your face (especially eyes and mouth) to reduce the risk of contracting the new virus.

According to different studies, people touch their faces a minimum of 16 times per hour, and that is the minimum. Students, for instance, take the rate to an approximate of 26 times a day, which makes it an average of 416 touches per day. This, in addition to the fact that up to 95% of the population worldwide doesn`t wash their hands properly, can create a major pandemic problem.

As stated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the new coronavirus, also called SARS-CoV-2, is transmitted from person to person, like many other respiratory infections.

This implies the fact that it is contagious when someone sneezes and the contaminated droplets are inhaled into the lungs of others, or when someone touches a virus-contaminated surface and uses that hand to touch his/her eyes or mouth.

Although we can not control environmental pandemic factors, simple actions like staying away from crowded places and washing our hands properly are key to avoiding its propagation.

According to the CDC, effective handwashing consists of five simple steps:

• wet
• lather
• scrub (at least 20 seconds)
• rinse
• dry

Keep in mind that it is important to wash your hands at least once every 2 hours, and of course, before eating, and after using the toilet.

Note: If you visit a public place or touch unclean surfaces (door handles, public transport, etc.) we highly encourage you to wash your hands right after.

According to Dr. Zachary Sikora, PsyD, a clinical psychologist at Northwestern Medicine Huntley Hospital in Huntley, Illinois, the following actions can help you stay away from touching your face:

-Be mindful of your intention to keep your hands away from your face. Just a brief pause can help you be more aware of what you’re doing with your hands.

-Keep your hands busy. If you’re at home watching TV, try folding laundry, sort through mail, or hold something in your hands.

-Use sanitizer or scented hand soap to help remind yourself to keep hands away from your face.

-If you know you habitually touch your face, Sikora said wearing gloves can be an effective physical reminder.

Remember, your eyes, nose, and mouth are the easiest paths for a virus-like SARS-CoV-2 to enter the body, so the best preventive measure is to avoid touching your face as much as possible and washing your hands often.

Keep in mind that staying calm, and following preventive measures will help stop the spreading of the virus and will ensure our optimal health.

How do you avoid touching your face? Have you tried any of these methods? Share it with us!

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