A RECENT survey commissioned by Public Health Wales has revealed that men are less likely than women to think handwashing is necessary.

One in five men in Wales admitted they don’t wash their hands after going to the toilet. Men were also more likely than women to report washing their hands for less than 20 seconds. 

In the representative survey of over 1,000 adults in Wales there was particularly low awareness of the importance of hand washing after coming back from a public place, with 41 per cent of men and 50 per cent of women doing so.

There was a lack of awareness about the importance of hand washing after meeting people outside their household, with  only 38 per cent of men and 43 per cent of women saying they do. 

Only around a half of Welsh adults said they always or often wash their hands after sneezing or blowing their nose.

Public health experts are highlighting the importance of hand hygiene to stay well this winter.

Director of Health Protection for Public Health Wales Dr. Giri Shankar said: “It’s important to continue the good hygiene practices that we learnt during the Covid pandemic.

"No-one likes to be ill, especially during the festive season. Taking a few simple steps to protect yourself and your loved ones against infection can really make all the difference and increase your chances of staying well this winter.” 

Good hand washing is one of the most effective actions we can all take to reduce the spread of infections, like flu, norovirus and Covid-19.

A typical person’s hands contain millions of microbes, most are harmless but some may be infection-causing bacteria. 

Official guidance is that hands should be washed for 30 seconds with soap and water at key times of the day, such as when visiting the toilet, after blowing your nose, before eating, after travelling on public transport and when arriving home from a public place. 

Experts say  that if handwashing facilities are not available, then using an alcohol-based sanitizer gel will do the job, although it will not work on noroviruses. 

Other measures to protect against the spread of infection this winter are to stay at home if you are unwell and ensure you and your family are up to date with their winter vaccinations.