
Dec. 4–10 is National Hand-Washing Awareness Week. It's a good reminder that frequent hand-washing remains one of the best defenses against getting sick with the flu or COVID-19.
But to be effective, it has to be done the right way. Dr. Gregory Poland, a Mayo Clinic infectious diseases expert, offers a demonstration on hand-washing.
Watch: Dr. Gregory Poland demonstrates the proper way to wash your hands.
Journalists: Broadcast-quality video (1:13) is in the downloads at the end of this post. Please courtesy: "Gregory Poland, M.D. / Vaccine Research Group / Mayo Clinic." Read the script.
To properly wash your hands, follow these steps:
Dr. Poland says it's important to keep in mind that the faucet and door handles may be contaminated, so once you have washed your hands, use a towel to avoid contacting any of these surfaces as you exit the bathroom.
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