Covid: Istat, washing and disinfecting hands is a well-established habit

Rome, March 24 (beraking latest news Health) – The main rules of personal hygiene, strongly recommended to reduce the risk of contagion, are part of daily habits. During the second wave of the epidemic, the action of washing hands often remains widespread, although less frequent than during the lockdown. People said they washed their hands on average 8.7 times (11.6 times in April 2020) and cleaned them with disinfectants, like in full lockdown, about 5 times in the day before the interview. from the Istat report. “Citizens during the second epidemic wave: 12 December 2020 – 15 January 2021”

8.7% reported having washed their hands at least 20 times in the day before the interview; this percentage ranges from 15% of 35-44 year olds (25.0% among women in this age group) to 2% of seniors aged 75 and over. More than four in ten people (44.2%) cleaned their hands with a disinfectant at least 5 times. Also in this case the range varies greatly according to age: it goes from 21.9% of over seventy-four year olds to about 50% in the age groups between 35 and 64 years. Among the employed, 55% disinfect their hands at least 5 times a day.

Again with reference to the day before the interview, people cleaned or disinfected the surfaces of the kitchen and furniture in the house on average 1.6 times. At least three times 22% of the population did it, with higher shares among women (33.6%), especially between the ages of 35 and 44 (43.5%). Hand and surface disinfection is a hygienic habit more widespread in the northern regions than in other areas of the country. 51.3% of the residents in the North disinfected their hands at least 5 times the day before the interview, compared with 41.2% of the citizens of the South and 33.1% of the residents in the Center.