Now, Wash Your Hands!

In the absence of a vaccine, washing your hands thoroughly with soap and water appears to be currently your best protection against infection by Covid-19 (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/mar/12/science-soap-kills-coronavirus-alcohol-based-disinfectants). Soap is not only cheaper than alcohol-based hand-sanitiser (which is disappearing via light-fingered folk from hospital wards and lecture theatres, as well as flying off the shelves in shops) but it effectively disrupts the lipid component of the virus, causing it to disintegrate (soap also provides are more effective total coverage on the hands). In spite of hand washing being strongly recommended, cuts in local council funding have led to free public toilet facilities largely disappearing from many towns and cities (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-45009337). Even where the public toilets remain, councils now often fail to provide soap. Although there are hand washing facilities in stores and restaurants, the people operating them, in many cases, prevent (not unreasonably) non-customers from using them. We need well-maintained public toilets back and that requires investment and a recognition that they are not optional extras that can be cut from budgets.