Cape Town - Information released by the World Health Organisation (WHO) has revealed that one of basic protective measures against the new coronavirus outbreak remains handwashing.
Covid-19 is still affecting mostly people in China, with South Africa being among the newer countries to have cases. The organisation has shared that most people who become infected experience mild illness and recover, but it can be more severe for others.
One tip that has been prominently recommended has been for people to wash their hands frequently.
The organisation encouraged people to regularly and thoroughly clean their hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water. Why? Washing your hands with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand rub kills viruses that may be on your hands.
Since this information has been making the rounds, many on social media have been discussing how frequently they wash their hands, while others have been hinting that they may not have been thorough or frequent hand washers prior.
This news has sparked a lot of funny and humourous posts and memes going viral as a result. Here are some of the posts that have had people laughing:
undefinedSo y’all telling me y’all wasn’t washing ya hands before corona virus .... pic.twitter.com/I5zKn6ZDpn
— Nike (@tallniggaspams) March 5, 2020
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/coronavirus?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#coronavirus. pic.twitter.com/lmXLbR3hZa
— UNICEF (@UNICEF)
i will never wash my hands the same now 😌 pic.twitter.com/xXhZGKBaU7
— eric (@beycarters) March 8, 2020
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/coronavirus?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#coronavirus #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/KTpwaMNt4u
— 𝓜𝓲𝓵𝓵𝓲𝓮𝔂✨ (@MJGE_)
men before the coronavirus: washing your hands is gay i aint do that shit
— daisy: big floppa amino (@Xenodizzy) March 8, 2020
men after the coronavirus: pic.twitter.com/XBuVdQPwEo
How I washed my hands before Coronavirus vs How I wash my hands now... pic.twitter.com/scHSACvAGd
— Maria Wojciechowski (@RiaWojo) March 3, 2020
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/coronavirus?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#coronavirus #theatre #HealthyLiving pic.twitter.com/bfpNdqbxBX
— Charles Wood Theater (@CRWoodTheater)
One of the others tips from the WHO has been to avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth as many surfaces and can pick up viruses.
According to the organisation once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth. From there, the virus can enter your body and can make you sick.
Another viral video however showed exactly how difficult this can be:
undefinedIn the Western Cape, a public hotline has been established should anyone fear that they may be a carrier of Covid-19.
Contact 0860029999 should you display symptoms of the virus.
* Featured video by Sandisiwe Ntlemeza/African News Agency
Cape Argus