4️⃣ Hygiene
Infectious diseases aremost often by theTransmitted by hands. Regular and thorough hand washing protects!

In cooperation with the Hygiene Technology Competence Center Bamberg and the Amberg-Weiden University of Applied Sciences

Wash your hands, avoid illness

We perform a wide variety of activities with our hands—we touch objects, lift them, or hold them. We also handle our food, rub our eyes, or touch other people.

In all of these activities, we constantly absorb and transmit microbes. This means that our hands are home to a veritable smorgasbord of various germs (bacteria, viruses, fungi).

Most of these microbes are harmless, some are even beneficial.

However, some of these microbes can transmit dangerous diseases.
If such germs stick to our hands, we pass them on to other people or absorb them ourselves.

Source: © Siemens Stiftung 2016. Content licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 international

⚠ DON'T FORGET:

This prevents germs on your hands from getting into the mouth.an organism and may harm you.


Wash your hands after every visit to the toilet 🧻!

This is essential because it is the only way to prevent pathogens from the intestinal tract or urine from being passed on to other people – not only when shaking hands, but also when touching a door handle, for example.



Wash your hands after covering your mouth when sneezing or coughing 🤧!

While covering your hand when coughing or sneezing is better than sneezing or coughing freely, Viruses stick to your hands afterward. Therefore, you should always use a new tissue when sneezing. Alternatively, you can sneeze or cough into your elbow to keep your hands clean.


WASH YOUR HANDS – AND DO IT RIGHT! 👍🏻

Why is soap so important?

The surfactants contained in soap can alter the adhesion of microbes to the skin, making them washable. This process cannot occur to the same extent when washing with water alone and without the use of soap. However, too much soap should not be used, as it can attack the skin's delicate acid mantle. This protective layer, a film of acid, water, and fat, protects the skin from drying out and from pathogens. Therefore, too much soap or excessively frequent washing can disrupt the skin's natural defense system. However, if you use moisturizing soaps or washing lotions in normal amounts, this is not a danger when washing your hands.
© Siemens Stiftung 2016. Content licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 international

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jR52yNp_bWE

Little researchers

Disinfect hands makes the difference

Disinfecting your hands is even more effective.
While 80% of germs survive regular handwashing, 99.9% of pathogens are killed by disinfection. Disinfection does not strip the skin's natural acid mantle, as it does with soap. However, depending on its composition, alcohols in the disinfectant solution can attack the skin and remove grease. Therefore, hand disinfectants often contain moisturizing substances or alcohols that are less damaging to the skin. Disinfectant hand washing is usually only necessary for people who work in the healthcare sector, such as hospitals, doctor's offices, and nursing homes. For private home use, thorough soap washing is generally sufficient.
© Siemens Stiftung 2016. Content licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 international

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1️⃣ Microbiology

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