Handwashing: a household social vaccine against COVID 19 and multiple communicable diseases

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dc.contributor.authorParida, Swayam Pragyanen_US
dc.contributor.authorBhatia, Vikasen_US
dc.date.accessioned2020-11-18T10:02:12Z
dc.date.available2020-11-18T10:02:12Z
dc.date.issued2020-07
dc.description.abstractHandwashing is the most cost-effective measure for prevention of a wide spectrum of diseases from respiratory, intestinal, soil transmitted helminthiasis, health-care associated illness to infection with pandemic potential like SARS, MERS and COVID 19. Experts view that handwashing can be the greatest investment in the mankind as it reduces under nutrition, morbidity, mortality and paves way for growth, development, educational attainment of people and thereby achieving healthier communities. Though the evidence of handwashing on health is two centuries old but change in human behaviour seems critical in both developing and developed countries. Hand hygiene is rarely practiced during crucial moments and even rarely soap is used. Therefore emphasis should be given towards a societal shift in behaviour change among children, caretakers and people of all age groups. Every school, community and hospital should be provided with Safe water, Sanitation and adequate Hygiene (WASH) services. Hand hygiene to be given top priority in national health plans by which millions of unnecessary deaths and burden on health care system can be avoided. Nevertheless under the looming threat of the current COVID 19 pandemic, where the exact epidemiology is still evolving and a vaccine doesn’t seem feasible as an immediate measure to control the disease, handwashing should be considered as a ‘social vaccine’ for everyone at every household level.en_US
dc.identifier.affiliationsDepartment of Community and Family Medicine, AIIMS, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, Indiaen_US
dc.identifier.affiliationsExecutive Director, AIIMS, Bibinagar, Hyderabad, Telangana, Indiaen_US
dc.identifier.citationParida Swayam Pragyan, Bhatia Vikas. Handwashing: a household social vaccine against COVID 19 and multiple communicable diseases. International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences. 2020 Jul; 8(7): 2708-2713en_US
dc.identifier.issn2320-6071
dc.identifier.issn2320-6012
dc.identifier.placeIndiaen_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://imsear.searo.who.int/handle/123456789/212493
dc.languageenen_US
dc.publisherMedip Academyen_US
dc.relation.issuenumber7en_US
dc.relation.volume8en_US
dc.source.urihttps://dx.doi.org/10.18203/2320-6012.ijrms20202565en_US
dc.subjectCOVID 19en_US
dc.subjectHandwashingen_US
dc.subjectHand hygieneen_US
dc.subjectSocial vaccineen_US
dc.subjectVaccineen_US
dc.titleHandwashing: a household social vaccine against COVID 19 and multiple communicable diseasesen_US
dc.typeJournal Articleen_US
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