The above is a message from a visibly tired and emotional frontline American doctor, forwarded to me by an enlightened friend.
Briefly, he attributes some of the significant spread of Covid 19 to the human inability to avoid touching our faces. It’s that simple...
Just start noticing how often you do it. If I am anyone to go by it is irrationally frequent and mainly unnoticed. Everyone’s circumstances are different, but when I realised last night that I was constantly touching my face I decided to try and train myself out of it .
I did it like this and it’s working, though not instantly. Not touching our faces any more than we need to is a good thing anyway, hygiene wise, regardless of Covid 19.
Ok, laugh at me if you like, but only after you have watched the video. I just hope I have entered the look-up correctly - if not I will try again, but still try this:
Stand in front of a mirror.
Tell yourself your face or head itches or hurts or is sore in some way ( bear with me, every time I think ‘itch’ my head actually itches).
SLOWLY lift both hands up towards your face. Then quick clench both fists and put your hands down by your sides and then behind your back, WITHOUT touching your face. Do it ten times ,several times a day, of course with freshly washed hands.
STOP the urge to touch your face anywhere. I have just tried it inadvertently as I write. My hair touched my face and irritated it . Normally I would have lifted my hand automatically to my face, but I curbed the urge.
I will now find out whether this entire post is immediately taken down as inappropriate.
All I am saying is ‘Help yourself , don’t touch your face’.
Of course you may already be harbouring the virus and you will never know whether touching or not touching your face made any difference.
Don’t listen to me, listen to the doctor, be patient and watch the whole video.ACTUALLY not touching your face is something you can do that might help, that is ALL I am saying. And what the doctor says is: ‘Always know where your hands are.”