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Comment by mholt | Hacker News Reader

I'm a huge advocate for washing with soap and water, but this gave me pause:

> washing your hands with soap and water is one of the most effective ways people can keep from getting sick, and from passing the [COVID-19] virus to others

So not to doubt handwashing, but I thought we overwhelmingly determined that COVID-19 doesn't thrive on surfaces (very long) and its primary transmission vector is through the air, from respiratory system to respiratory system, clinging to small moisture particles as it goes.

Also... this article is a bit of a stub. Diagrams would be nice. More detail would be nice, I'd expect better from a company like Pfizer, who I do trust to make vaccines, but this marketing content is low-effort.

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> but I thought we overwhelmingly determined that COVID-19 doesn't thrive on surfaces (very long) and its primary transmission vector is through the air,

It can last from hours to days depending on what it lands on and the environmental conditions like light/heat/humidity. (for example see https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanmic/article/PIIS2666-5...) Viral RNA can still be detected on surfaces for much much longer but that doesn't mean it's going to be getting anyone sick.

You're right that the primary transmission vector is through the air, and that the risk of getting it by other means is much lower but since people often cough and sneeze directly into their hands then wipe their wet (maybe virus filled) hands on things around them it's probably a good idea to keep washing your hands. In fact, it's probably a good idea to wash our hands more often even without Covid concerns. People are gross and spend a surprising amount of time rubbing their eyes or inserting fingers directly into their nostrils.

> “I want to be clear that nothing should change in terms of washing our hands and personal hygiene,”...In a piece for the Conversation, Vally said: “This isn’t to say surface transmission isn’t possible and that it doesn’t pose a risk in certain situations, or that we should disregard it completely. But, we should acknowledge the threat surface transmission poses is relatively small.”

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/feb/28/clean...

Yeah, you should wash your hands for lots of reasons but I'm not sure COVID-19 is a particularly relevant one. Much more relevant is, say, fecal bacteria, which will make you sick.

I'm guessing, because the article doesn't have a timestamp, that it dates back to the early bits of 2020.

Is it really something that needs to be advocated? Is there really someone for which washing hands is less obvious then breathing?

Yes, there are lots and lots of people who don't wash their hands with any regularity and others who don't wash them as often as they should. You can find statistics about the fraction of folks washing hands in a public restroom, or just watch for yourself the next time you're in a public restaurant or buying food from a restaurant with an open kitchen.

Then advocate for it with a valid reason?

There seem to be plenty of diseases that are commonly spread by inadequately washed hands. COVID does not appear to be one of them.

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