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  • When was the last time

  • you washed your hands?

  • Did you know that nearly 80%

  • of infectious diseases

  • are spread by contacting

  • things around you?

  • We touch money and door handles,

  • we share pens to sign documents

  • in banks and whatnot.

  • Oh, and we love shaking hands.

  • That's just gross.

  • It's not surprising that

  • washing your hands with soap

  • is the number one preventative measure

  • against viruses.

  • But what if you ignored

  • your hand hygiene for a year?

  • Everyone knows we have to

  • wash our hands with soap.

  • But the reality is,

  • most of us are either doing it wrong

  • or aren't doing it at all.

  • Let me show you what happens

  • when you grow your hand bacteria in petri dishes.

  • This squeaky clean sample

  • is after a full 20-second hand wash with soap.

  • This sample has the bacteria that's left

  • when you just rinse your hands with water.

  • And this one shows how much bacteria

  • lives on your hands when you don't wash them.

  • Now, are you ready for some gross stats?

  • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC,

  • found that 69% of men and 35% of women

  • And 93% of people don't wash their hands

  • after coughing or sneezing.

  • *coughing*

  • Okay, I'm gonna wash my hands right now.

  • Where were we?

  • Ah, not washing your hands for a year.

  • I hope our research team didn't test this one on themselves.

  • Alright, here are the ground rules.

  • Let's assume that, hypothetically,

  • your hands didn't touch soap

  • or hand sanitizer for 12 months.

  • You could still swim and shower,

  • or get your hands wet in the rain,

  • but you didn't wash them.

  • How soon will you become a walking bacteria stick?

  • Unfortunately, I can't give you an exact timeline here.

  • It depends on too many factors,

  • like the types of germs, and how many people

  • you come in contact with.

  • And it looks like we didn't sacrifice

  • our researchers for that purpose.

  • The only certainty is that you would get sick.

  • In the short-term, your hands would

  • start to look esthetically displeasing.

  • They'd be covered in dirt and grease, and

  • a plethora of unseen bacteria.

  • People would stop shaking your hands,

  • and I wouldn't even give you an elbow bump.

  • But the unpleasant look of your hands

  • would be the least of your problems.

  • According to research from the University of Colorado,

  • our hands carry some 3,200 bacteria

  • from 150 different species.

  • Every time you used the toilet,

  • the number of germs on your fingertips would double.

  • That has something to do with the fact that

  • germs can spray up to 2 m (6 ft) in the air when you flush.

  • You'd transfer all those bacteria to your food and drinks.

  • And that would be making you repeatedly sick.

  • You'd be having 30% more diarrhea-related illnesses

  • and 20% more respiratory infections like flu.

  • Your doctor would keep prescribing antibiotics.

  • Eventually, the bacteria on your hands

  • would develop resistance to those meds,

  • and they would stop helping you.

  • If that's not bad enough, you'd make others sick as well.

  • And if everyone got sick,

  • they'd have to take time off work

  • and lock themselves at home.

  • When people stay home and don't get out

  • to restaurants or shopping malls,

  • the economy takes a nosedive.

  • If a pandemic spreads all over the world,

  • the economic slowdown could cost trillions of dollars.

  • Bottom line, not washing your hands for a year

  • isn't something you want to try,

  • but if you do, make sure to practice social distancing,

  • so you don't come in contact with too many people

  • and cause another pandemic.

  • It's the best method for removing hand bacteria

  • and stopping the spread of viruses.

  • Here's how to do it right.

  • Wet your hands with clean water.

  • Turn off the tap, and apply soap.

  • Keep lathering your hands for at least 20 seconds.

  • You can hum a verse of your favorite song twice,

  • or just watch this video from this point and till the end.

  • Make sure to wash between your fingers,

  • under your nails, and the back of your hands.

  • Rinse your hands with water and dry them with a clean towel.

  • Do it regularly and stay safe.

  • Next time you want to do something crazy,

  • try going with no shower for a month.

  • But that's a story for another WHAT IF.

When was the last time

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