Washing Hands Becomes A Simple Habit That Has A Big Impact On Health

JAKARTA - Maintaining hand hygiene is a basic but very effective step in preventing various infectious diseases.

Washing hands with soap and running water after carrying out activities, especially before eating or after leaving the house, can be the first shield for the body against dangerous microorganisms attacks.

This habit is important to apply not only when you are sick, but also in good health as part of a clean and healthy lifestyle.

Senior researcher from the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, Dr. Sacrificial A. Adalja, emphasized that hands are often the entry point for various germs and viruses into the body. He explained that the habit of washing hands regularly is a very simple method but is able to reduce the risk of infection significantly.

"washing hands is an easy way to reduce the level of contamination and reduce the chances of you contracting infection," he said, as quoted by ANTARA.

The same thing was also conveyed by Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. He said washing hands with soap and running water thoroughly was able to eliminate germs more effectively than the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Although hand sanitizers are practically used when outside the home, their effectiveness is limited. Prof. Thomas Russo, Head of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University at Buffalo, explains that some types of viruses, such as noroviruses that can cause vomiting and severe diarrhea, cannot be completely removed by just antiseptic fluid.

Therefore, washing hands with soap remains the best way, especially after returning home or finishing contact with a contaminated surface.

Russo also emphasized the importance of washing hands with water and soap even though she had previously used hand sanitizer.

"This will make sure the hands are completely clean of viruses and bacteria that may stick," he said.

Taking advantage of family members to wash their hands when entering the house can be a simple but big step in keeping the home environment healthy.

Dr. Schaffner said this could reduce the possibility of bringing germs from outside into the house, thereby minimizing the risk of disease transmission between family members.

Although it looks trivial, the habit of washing hands provides real health benefits. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also stated that washing hands is one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of infection.

Dr. Adalja added that although it is difficult to measure directly the improvement in health due to diligently washing hands, this habit clearly has a positive impact in the long term.

"Cleaning hands with soap and water not only reduces the risk of disease, but also helps prevent the spread of viruses and bacteria to others," Russo concluded.