WHAT IS SAFER TO USE WHILE WIPING OUR HANDS PAPER TOWELS OR COTTON TOWELS.

Coronavirus is knocking on our door, it’s an eerie similarity to what we considered science fiction and it is literally coming to haunt us like in the movie Jumanji, the outbreak is real and we need to survive this and there is no escaping reality by walking out of the cinema or pressing pause on our remote control. it will be very important over the next few weeks to minimize the possibility of contracting anything that causes even a common cold or bronchitis to put it mildly. the intention is to spread awareness. ironically even the latest flick of James bond ” no time to die” has been postponed due to coronavirus.

It is not as simple as just washing our hands but how do we go about doing it,  do we just lightly dab our fingers under the tap, punch some liquid out of the soapbox which already looks infected and while we wrestle that liquid all around our palm and fingers do we actually make sure that we wash up thoroughly or are we in a hurry to just leave. we need to wash our hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

We need to take this basic activity as seriously as possible as an essential act of washing our hands thoroughly will not only stop the spread within but at the same time we will stop it from spreading further as we end up shaking hands, playing cards, using laptops, opening doors, lifts and our endless daily chores that involve our hands. make sure your workplaces are clean and hygienic, surface desks, tables need to be wiped with disinfectant regularly because contamination on surfaces touched by people is one of the main ways that coronavirus spreads.

Even blow dryers should be avoided in public places, they are just disease spreaders, according to experts as they blast the moisture you have on your hands and blow it around like an airbus a380 switching on the turbofan jet engine, imagine a small droplet getting sprayed around, so if you got bronchitis and you just washed your hand but ended up coughing while blow-drying your hands you will spread the droplets onto anyone else or doorknob in the room, explains why they are not used in hospitals.

Technically speaking cotton towels are generally woven with many protruding loops of thread, it is manufactured by weaving or knitting this allows infection to spread from the loops of thread to the other side, while paper towels are non-wovens so in comparison to the construction of both the materials, tissue paper surface is like an a4 photocopy paper so germs cannot easily protrude on the other side of the paper.  cloth towels are more practical to be used as a bath towel rather than wiping your hands, face, etc. paper towels are a wiser choice for hand drying if multiple people use the same cloth towel to dry their hands and of them is infected, every subsequent person who uses the same towel will pick up the germs during the hand drying process, while in the paper towels after their dry your hands you normally dispose it in the dustbin and avoiding cross-contamination. 

Please make sure you have basic supplies of tissue paper, hand sanitizer, and masks. ways to prevent the disease is to 1. wash your hands regularly 2. use a hand sanitizer, if soap and water are not available, 3. cover coughs and sneezes with tissue paper, 4. do not travel if you develop any illness symptoms, 5. avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness, 6. avoid animal markets and uncooked meat, 7. always remember hand drying is an important part of hygiene especially in the present circumstances.

Contact numbers for medical support or emergency in the United Arab Emirates

Dubai Health Authority on 800342

Ministry of Health & Prevention at 04-2301000