CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed U.S. adults have increased their hand-washing during the COVID-19 pandemic. But there is still room for improvement.

 

What You Need To Know

  • According to a CDC study, 30 percent of participants did not wash their hands before eating at a restaurant

  • About 29 percent did not wash their hands after coughing, sneezing, or blowing their nose

  • The highest number of participants, 89 percent, washed their hands after going to the restroom


Charlotte dentist Dr. Kathryn Sudikoff with iDental Dilworth washes her hands before and after seeing every patient.

“Honestly, I would say I probably wash my hands 100 times a day,” Sudikoff says.

That's because in her profession, she has to be extra careful.

“We are always in patient contact,” Sudikoff says. “We are around spit and splatter all day long.”

But even those who don’t work in a health profession have to take precautionary measures. Dermatologist Dr. Abigail Waldman says this is particularly important as the flu season approaches.

“Really anytime that we are entering a public space or before or after eating, it is critical to wash your hands at those times,” Waldman says.

The CDC recommends washing hands for 20 seconds or about the time it takes to sing the Happy Birthday song.

“If 20 seconds of hand-washing is too much then use hand sanitizer,” Waldman says. “Unless your hands are visibly soiled or you are dealing with some rare types of bacteria that are mostly in the hospital, hand sanitizer works.”

The goal is to not only protect yourself, but everyone around you.