[Infectious Disease Life Vaccine①] The Start of COVID-19 Eradication is 'Leading by Example'

From SARS to COVID-19
Infection Control Through 'Handwashing' During Epidemics
"The Most Powerful and Effective Method"

Since the first confirmed case of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in South Korea on January 19, the spread of the infectious disease has continued for nearly three months. At one point, with nearly 1,000 confirmed cases per day, our society fell into panic, but all citizens have strictly followed personal hygiene rules and practiced 'social distancing.' This voluntary participation and vigilance have led to evaluations that our country has become a 'model quarantine nation.' However, looking back at human history, outbreaks of 'new infectious diseases' have always repeated. Even after the COVID-19 crisis ends, it is essential to absorb the excellent 'habits' formed now into daily life. Establishing a daily quarantine system and changing social awareness about infectious diseases will protect us as the best vaccine.

[Asia Economy Reporters Byungdon Yoo and Donghoon Jung] The movie 'Contagion,' which gained fame for predicting the COVID-19 pandemic, depicts the coronavirus using bats as hosts. The virus spreads from a Chinese pig farm to a Hong Kong chef who cooked the pig, and then to an American woman through her 'hand.' When she coughs, droplets land on door handles, cocktail glasses, and credit cards via her hands, infecting those who touch them. Although the short incubation period of one day and the fatality rate differ from the current COVID-19, the depiction of virus spread through hands is a scene our society, enduring a prolonged COVID-19 crisis, must deeply remember.

From the 2003 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), the 2009 H1N1 influenza (new flu), the 2015 Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), to the 2020 COVID-19, handwashing has always been the foremost basic hygiene practice recommended to prevent infection during outbreaks of new infectious diseases. Since developing treatments and vaccines for new viruses takes a long time, the importance of hand hygiene, the core transmission route, cannot be overstated.

A small-scale study conducted in 2015 by researchers at the University of New South Wales in Australia on medical students found that students touched their faces an average of 23 times per hour. Among these, 44% involved touching mucous membrane areas such as the mouth, nose, and eyes. The mouth and nose are key entry points for bacteria and viruses into our bodies, and mucous membranes provide an optimal environment for viruses to attach and multiply. Professor Eom Jung-sik, an infectious disease specialist at Gil Medical Center, said, "Handwashing is the most powerful and reliable method to prevent not only COVID-19 but also other infectious diseases."

The nationwide practice of handwashing after the COVID-19 outbreak has significantly reduced common infectious diseases, including seasonal flu, which is very impressive. As of the end of last month, ophthalmic infectious diseases occurred at a rate of 4.9 per 1,000 outpatients, significantly lower than the five-year average of 13. Influenza infections also remained at the lowest level in the past five years, with 3.2 cases per 1,000 outpatients. Professor Eom explained, "This clearly proves that handwashing can reduce infectious diseases," adding, "During the new flu outbreak, increased handwashing also significantly decreased epidemic conjunctivitis (Apollo eye disease) and hepatitis A."

The Korean Society for Healthcare-Associated Infection Control is conducting the 'Leading by Example (Solseonsu) Campaign... Starting with Handwashing to Defeat COVID-19' to raise awareness and normalize handwashing. The society appeals for participation beyond the medical community to the general public. Professor Chun Eun-mi of Ewha Mokdong Hospital's Infectious Disease Department emphasized, "Making handwashing and sanitizer use, which have become familiar during the COVID-19 crisis, a daily habit can be the strongest vaccine not only against new infectious disease outbreaks but also against annually recurring contagious diseases."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.