Hand Hygiene

Infection Prevention and

Control Training on Novel
Corona Virus

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 Chapter Outline

 PPP 3.1: Importance Hand hygiene for Preventing nCoV

infection
 PPP 3.2: When to wash hands while caring for suspected
cases for nCoV infection ?
 PPP 3.3: Hand Washing Techniques used for prevention of
nCoV infection
 PPP 3.4: Antiseptic Hand Rub used to prevent nCoV
infection

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 Learning objectives

At the end of this chapter , participants will be able to:

• Explain the importance of hand hygiene in preventing nCoV

• Demonstrate proper technique for washing hands with soap
and water to prevent nCoV infection
• Demonstrate proper technique of using of alcohol-based
hand rub to prevent nCoV infection
• Outline World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) “5 Moments
for Hand Hygiene”

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PPP 3.1: IMPORTANCE HAND HYGIENE
FOR PREVENTING NCOV

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 Why hand hygiene is important?

 Hand hygiene is a general term referring to any action of

hand cleansing
 Reduces the number of disease-causing microorganisms on
hands and arms
 Minimize cross-contamination (e.g., from health worker to
patient)
 It is the most important way to reduce the spread of
infections in the health care setting including nCoV public
health emergencies.

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 Commonly used of Hand Hygiene Practices to Prevent nCoV Infection

 Hand washing
 Antiseptic Hand-rub

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 PPP 3.2: WHEN TO WASH HANDS
WHILE CARING FOR SUSPECTED CASES
FOR NCOV INFECTION ?

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5 Moments of Hand Hygiene during
nCoV Public Health Emergencies

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 Other opportunities for hand hygiene

 Immediately on arrival and before departure from work

(the health facility).
 Immediately after touching contaminated instruments or
articles
 Before putting on gloves and after removing them
 Whenever the hands become visibly soiled after nasal
blowing or following a covered sneeze

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 Other opportunities for hand hygiene
cont’d…

 Before touching the face (eyes, nose or mouth)

 Before and after cleaning the environment
 Before and after preparing food
 Before eating and drinking or serving food
 After visiting the toilet

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 PPP 3.3: Hand Washing
Techniques used to prevent
nCoV infection

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 Hand washing
 Purpose: to
mechanically remove soil
and debris from skin and
reduce the number of
transient
microorganisms.
 It is THE SINGLE most
important measure in
reducing the spread of
nCoV infection!

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 Hand Washing Technique

WHO. 2005. Guidelines on Hand Hygiene in Health Care (Advanced Draft): A Summary. WHO: Geneva

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 While washing hands …
 Avoiding contamination of hands
 Use bar soaps when possible because they can become
contaminated, leading to colonization of microorganisms on
hands.
– There is some evidence, however, that the actual hazard
of transmitting microorganisms through hand washing
with previously used bar soaps is negligible. If bar soap
is used, provide small bars and use soap racks that drain
the water after use. (WHO 2009a)

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PPP 3.4: ANTISEPTIC HAND RUB USED
TO PREVENT NCOV INFECTION

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 Antiseptic Hand Rub
Purpose: to inhibit or kill transient and resident flora.

 Considered to be more effective than antimicrobial hand

washing agents or plain soap and water,
 It is quicker and easier to perform,
 but it should not be used when the hands are visibly soiled.
 Do not rinse hands after applying hand rub

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 Advantages of Alcohol-Based Hand Rubs

 Require less time

 Act faster
 More accessible than sinks
 More effective for standard hand washing than soap
 Can even provide improved skin condition.

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 Antiseptic Hand Rub Technique

 Apply enough alcohol-based hand rub to cover the entire surface of

hands and fingers
 Continue rubbing the solution over hands until they are dry (15-30
seconds)
 Rub the solution vigorously into hands, especially between fingers
and under the nails, until dry.

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WHO-Recommended Hand Rub Formulations

Formulation 1:
• To produce final concentrations of ethanol 80% v/v, glycerol
1.45% v/v, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) 0.125% v/v:
• Pour into a 1,000-mL graduated flask:
• Ethanol 96% v/v, 833.0 mL
• H2O2 3%, 41.7 mL
• Glycerol 98%, 14.5 mL
• Top up the flask to 1,000 mL with distilled water or water
that has been boiled and cooled; shake the flask gently to
mix the contents.

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WHO-Recommended Hand Rub Formulations

Formulation 2:
• To produce final concentrations of isopropyl alcohol 75% v/v,
glycerol 1.45 v/v, hydrogen peroxide 0.125% v/v:
• Pour into a 1,000-mL graduated flask:
• Isopropyl alcohol (with a purity of 99.8%), 751.5 mL
• H2O2 3%, 41.7 mL
• Glycerol 98%, 14.5 mL
• Top up the flask to 1,000 mL with distilled water or water that
has been boiled and cooled; shake the flask gently to mix the
contents.
• v/v=volume percent, meaning 80 parts absolute alcohol in
volume and 20 parts water measured as volume, not as weight

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Other - Recommended Hand Rub Formulations

 Add 100ml 70% Alcohol with 2ml 99% Glycerin and mix
thoroughly

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 ABHR cont’d
 Do not add ABHR to a partially empty dispenser, to
avoid contamination
 The use of refill packets avoids this problem but if
they are not available, the dispensers should first be
thoroughly cleaned and dried before refilling. (WHO
2009a)

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 Hand rub Technique

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 Use of Antiseptic Soap vs ABHR

 Hand washing with antiseptic soap is more irritating

to the skin and more expensive than using ABHR.
 Therefore, if available, ABHR should be used under
normal circumstances (WHO 2009a)

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 Summary

 Hand washing is the single most important

infection prevention practice to prevent
nCoV infection.

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