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British researchers have shown that repeated hand washing six to ten times a day could lower the risk of seasonal infections like the flu, a finding that supports current recommendations to limit the spread of Covid-19.
The study, conducted by a team from University College London, tracked the hand hygiene of 1,633 participants. At the start of the study, subjects were asked to provide estimates of the number of times they had washed their hands the day before their interview. If they had washed their hands less than five times during the day, they were assigned to the category “low frequency of washing”, between six and ten times they displayed a “moderate frequency” and beyond ten times a “high frequency”.
Participants also underwent screening for coronavirus infections through nasopharyngeal tests. Their results showed that washing your hands between six and ten times a day was linked to a 36% decrease in the risk of getting seasonal coronavirus, compared to people who washed their hands less than five times a day. day.
A gesture that has its limits
However, a high frequency of washing, more than ten times a day, did not seem to lower this risk any more, although the researchers pointed out that the number of participants in this group was lower than for the others, which could have affected the results.
The researchers note that this study, published in Wellcome Open Research, but not yet in a peer-reviewed journal, offers the first empirical evidence that regular hand washing could reduce the individual risk of contracting seasonal coronavirus infection.
They add that their results are in line with current hand hygiene recommendations to reduce the circulation of Covid-19, even if it is a new coronavirus. Covid-19 is not the same as the seasonal coronaviruses already known as the flu, which often cause fewer and less severe symptoms.
In line with the recommendations
“Since Covid-19 appears to display transmission mechanisms similar to seasonal coronaviruses, these results support clear public communication regarding the protective effects of repeated handwashing during pandemics,” said the author. study, researcher Sarah Beale.
“It is important to emphasize that the frequency of hand washing is only one aspect of manual hygiene. We also know that a longer duration and the context of washing (before eating and when you go home) have also been associated with a lower overall risk of influenza-like illness, “added the researcher.
“Good manual hygiene should be practiced at all times, whether or not you have flu-like symptoms. This will help protect us and prevent the unintended transmission of viruses around us. “
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