Single day, 24 hours, comprises 86,400 seconds. Confined to the indoors as we are, unable to go out and mingle as is our wont, time will often seem to stretch. So, if you’re following the 20 second-rule every time you wash your hands, and if you wash your hands 20 times a day (sounds excessive, but we all know what we all get up to during the course of the day), you’ve shaved 400 seconds off right there, leaving you with 86,000 seconds. And if you add the seconds we’ve spent watching other people (and animals) washing their hands (and paws) over the last few days, that’ll probably add up to a hell lot more.
From celebrities to politicians to celebrity politicians, everyone in front of a camera has sought to deliver the ultimate hand wash tutorial, and social media is awash with videos of interminable length (definitely longer than the mandated 20 seconds) showing just that. There are also plenty of nature clips showing raccoons and other critters fastidiously washing their paws, but we don’t know them well enough to identify them by name.
Among the political persons who have extolled (and rightly so) the virtues of the WHO’s hand washing regimen are Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Member of Parliament Nusrat Jahan. In a 60-second video the Gandhi scion demonstrated the proper technique of washing hands, speaking in to the camera, and saying in part, “Let us all be responsible citizens and make it our mission to spread awareness about coronavirus and how to beat it. Most importantly, do not worry. We are all in this situation and we will fight coronavirus as one.”
Meanwhile, proving that you can’t please all of the people all of the time, Jahan’s Instagram video was soundly criticised for leaving the water running during her ablutions. “Please close the tap... you are wasting water unnecessarily,” commented one person. Even when she closed the tap, the critic didn’t let up, saying things like “Do not close the tap with hand.
Use wrist, that’s the proper guideline” and “The way you are closing the tap with your sanitised hands is wrong.” A video posted by Kerala Police’s social media team showed cops in masks and gloves dancing and showing the public how to properly use protective gear and wash hands. It naturally went viral as did an Instagram tutorial by celebrity chef Ranveer Brar providing the voice-over for a hand wash tutorial given by his young son. Now that you’ve read this, it’s time to wash your hands. You know where to go.