Wash up, Covid-19 survives on the skin for hours

 A study found that the coronavirus (COVID-19) survives on the skin for up to nine hours. This is a key finding.

The study was conducted at the Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine in Japan.

Thus, COVID-19 survives on the skin much longer than the flu. Think back and ask, how many times have you had the flu? There are examples sciences has found showing how tough the virus is compared with the flu, too.

The finding underscores the need to follow key steps. And one of those key steps is regularly washing of the hands. It is recommended that we wash our hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water.

This short PSA demonstrates the proper method to wash hands:

Also, some treat their hands regularly with hand sanitizer , too. But make sure it contains 60% alcohol.

It is also critical to clean common areas.

Other Key Steps

There are several key steps to take. In addition to regularly washing and treating of the hands, also avoid touching your face.

And one of the big key steps is wearing a mask. This is key. And it should be done when around others. Masks protect us. And they protect others, too.

A mask is a health message. Wearing one sends an important health message.  It reminds the person wearing it that the virus is serious.  It also reminds others of the same message, too. Please wear a mask. And encourage others, too.

A Face Shield Alone is not enough

A face shield alone will not stop COVID-19. Here is why. 

We first published this story on September 2. It is worth repeating:

A simple study shows the limits of a plastic face shield. And that they will not protect us from the virus. The study was done at the Florida Atlantic University shows that a face shield alone will not protect the person wearing the shield.  Also, they will not protect others.

However, wearing a face mask with the face shield does work.  

Face shields alone do not protect us. But they do provide advantages.  Experts point out that a face shield will protect the eyes and discourage touching of the face.

Photograph by Ketut Subiyanto