The most basic measure to reduce the spread of the coronavirus or to prevent disease is to follow the rules of hygiene. The most important of these is the easiest and most economical washing hands. We must always wash our hands to protect against invisible microbes. Hand cleaning is the most important hygiene rule since we have the most basic passage way of bacteria and viruses. Washing hands frequently with warm water and soap, short and clean nails is the most effective way to prevent the spread and spread of infectious diseases.

Statements from the World Health Organization and the Ministry of Health indicate that hand hygiene should be given priority. Since the germs divide every 15-20 minutes in a hot, closed and humid environment, their number increases to millions within hours, so washing hands immediately helps prevent the risk of disease. Since the importance of contamination from the surfaces is more understood, everyone should be careful not to touch the face, eyes and mouth with dirty hands after touching the surfaces in common areas. In addition, in order to reduce the risk of epidemic, hands should be washed with soap and water for at least 20 seconds in accordance with the World Health Organization's hand washing instructions, and in the absence of soap and water, hand antiseptics or alcohol-based hand cleaning gels with at least 60% alcohol should be used. Therefore, you should always carry hand disinfectants with you when you go out or contact dirty surfaces. The coronavirus is an enveloped virus. Enveloped viruses are not resistant to washing with soap and disinfecting with alcohol. For this reason, the spread of Covid-19 will be slower in societies that have the habit of washing hands and disinfect their hands. Therefore, each individual should pay attention to hand hygiene.

When Should We Wash Our Hands ?

1. Before returning home from work and after coming home
2. Before preparing food
3. Before and after eating
4. Before cleaning teeth, mouth, face and eyes
5. Before and after the toilet
6. After touching the cuts and wounds on your body
7. After contact with upper respiratory secretions (sneezing, coughing, wiping nose)
8. After touching the animals
9. After touching uncooked food (especially red meat, chicken, fish, eggs)
10. After the use of common vehicles in public (public transport, telephone, elevators, stair railing etc.)
11. After touching the money.

Apart from hand washing coronavirus protection precautions can be listed as follows:

• Physical close contact should be avoided, social distance should be maintained.
• When coughing or sneezing, the nose and the mouth should be covered with a disposable tissue. In cases where there is no tissue paper, the inside of the elbow should be used.
• If possible, one should not enter in crowded places, if it is necessary to enter, mouth and nose should be covered and a medical mask should be used.
• Sick people should avoid contact with the others and hands should be cleaned frequently, especially after direct contact with sick people or their environment.
• Closed areas especially workplaces should frequently be ventilated.
• To strengthen the immune system a healthy and balanced diet should be consumed.
• Frequently touched surfaces such as door handles should be disinfected.
• Uncooked animal products should not be consumed.
• When the disease symptoms begin, it is very important to wear a mask when going to the health institution.

These days each individual has important duties to protect against the coronavirus epidemic. In this process, everyone must fulfill these duties and must comply with the precautions in the statements made by the Ministry of Health.

We must not forget that CORONAVIRUS IS NOT STRONGER THAN THE MEASURES WE WILL TAKE.