This is the transcript of the video.
Narrator: Germs are like cars. They’re always on the move. What about our hands? They’re like a big highway, moving germs freely from one place to another on and off your body. But when you wash your hands, you create a big roadblock, stopping germs on their way into your body. So, What would happen if you stopped washing your hands forever?
Your hands can have between 100,000 and a few million more germs at any given timeSome of those germs live naturally on your skin to protect you, but many of them you literally pick up from the environment around you. Those germs sit there, waiting to be transported to your mouth, nose, or eyes. And those germs from outside can be downright mean.
This was something that was discovered in the 1840s, when the Hungarian doctor Ignaz Semmelweis He noticed that when doctors performed autopsies and then helped women deliver their babies, there was a higher mortality rate among the mothers. Semmelweis implemented chlorine handwashing practices throughout the hospital, and mortality rates dropped significantly.
Now, there are a lot of disease-causing germs floating around. Let’s look at the conjunctivitis Bacterial conjunctivitis, or as it’s sometimes known, pink eye: The infection causes pus and burning in the eyes. Let’s say you go to the bathroom and don’t wash your hands afterward. That bacteria makes its way onto your hands, and then a simple scratch to your eye could give you pink eye.
After preparing raw meat, petting certain animals, or coming into contact with fecal matter, your stomach is about to feel really bad… Diseases that cause diarrhea, such as Salmonella or giardiasis are 30% more likely to be contracted when one does not wash one’s handsAnd even after you recover, you are likely to encounter these illnesses again and again.
Read more: Dermatologists warn that using hydroalcoholic gel more than 10 times a day is harmful to the skin, but they do not advise against its use
As you continue to touch contaminated surfaces and shake hands, more and more germs will eventually enter the equation. You are 20% more likely to catch respiratory viruses, such as the flu, the common cold, and of course, COVID-19, which can lead to complications or even severe pneumonia.
And then there’s norovirusThis serious stomach bug only needs a single particle to infect you. Flu viruses need 50 to 100. So without washing your hands, you’re almost guaranteed to get infected sooner or later.
Now, you could lower your chances of getting any of these diseases by simply not touching your face. But good luck; one small study found that on average, people touch their face more than 20 times an hour.
And of course, the germs will eventually die if they haven’t been carried to an opening, but because you won’t be able to stop touching things, you won’t be able to stop picking up new germs and all kinds of dirt, your hands will become increasingly dirty. dirtier and smellier. And chances are you’re not moisturizing either, which means your hands will eventually dry out and form cracks, creating the perfect habitat for germs.
Let’s say you now have a cut on your hand. Not only will all those diseases have an easier way in, but more menacing germs might join this infection party. Staphylococcus, better known as staph, may be a relatively harmless group of bacteria and can even be commonly found in some people’s noses. But when a wound opens and staph gets in, you can expect to see a lot of germs. Skin irritations, boils, fevers and even blood infections.
Some strains of staph and other bacteria go a step further. Welcome the flesh-eating bacteria, also known for causing necrotizing soft tissue infections. This life-threatening infection is the result of bacteria invading the skin, usually when there is a cut or wound. It can destroy skin, muscle, and if left untreated, can lead to death.
So now you have a cocktail of infectious diseases, severe blisters, rashes, and your flesh is being eaten alive. This is when you should run out and wash your hands. But remember, it’s not about how often you wash, it’s about how and when you wash.
To find out, make sure you wash them. for at least 20 secondscovering every inch of your hands. If you don’t have a sink or clean water, use at least a 60% alcohol-based hand sanitizer gel for 20 seconds, making sure your hands stay wet the entire time. And just in case, wash them whenever you think you might have come into contact with germs. And see how long you can go without touching your face.
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