Changes in handwashing and hygiene product usage patterns in Korea before and after the outbreak of COVID-19

YoungJoo Lee,Eunkyung Lim,Yoonhee Uhm,Seunghye Sim,KeunOh Choi,Junyeong Choi,Augustine Yonghwi Kim,Choa Park,Seong Joon Yoo

doi:10.1186/s12302-021-00517-8

Abstract

BackgroundThe World Health Organization declared COVID-19, the disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), a global pandemic on March 11, 2020. Non-pharmaceutical interventions such as social distancing, handwashing, using hand sanitizer, and wearing facial masks are recommended as the first line of protection against COVID-19. Encouraging hand hygiene may be one of the most cost-effective means of reducing the global burden of disease.MethodsThis study uses a web-based questionnaire to evaluate the usage patterns and consumer perceptions of the effectiveness and health safety of bar soap, liquid hand soap, and hand sanitizer products before and after the spread of COVID-19.ResultsThe results show that since the outbreak of COVID-19, the number of consumers who primarily use bar soap has decreased from 71.8 to 51.4%, the number of those who primarily use liquid hand soap has increased from 23.5 to 41.3%, and the number of those who use and carry hand sanitizer has increased. The frequency of use, duration of use, and amount used of all three products have increased significantly since the COVID-19 outbreak. Finally, consumer perception of the products’ preventive effect against COVID-19 is higher for liquid hand soap and hand sanitizer than it is for bar soap.ConclusionsBecause use of hand sanitizers has increased, public health guidelines must address the potential risks associated them. Our data also show that the public is abiding by the recommendations of the regulatory authorities. As handwashing has become important in preventing COVID-19 infections, the results of our study will support the development of better handwashing guidelines and a public health campaign.

Highlights

A number of pneumonia cases, in which the cause was unknown, appeared in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, in December 2019 [1]
Hand hygiene products used before and after the COVID‐19 outbreak The products normally used for handwashing in Korea (1000 consumers were surveyed) pre- and post-COVID-19 were investigated and compared with Crème data [14], a study conducted on 448 American subjects
In the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, frequent handwashing and proper hand hygiene are strongly recommended by international health agencies and Korean regulatory agencies, such as the Korean Center for Disease Control and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, as the easiest, most economic, and most effective ways to prevent the spread of the virus

Summary

Introduction

A number of pneumonia cases, in which the cause was unknown, appeared in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, in December 2019 [1]. Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) detected a novel coronavirus in a patient and identified it as the etiologic agent of this cluster of pneumonia cases [2]; the virus was named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) [3]. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a global pandemic on March 11, 2020. Contamination through the respiratory droplets and feces of COVID-19 patients suggests that environmental factors are a potential transmission medium, indicating the need for strict adherence to environmental and hand hygiene guidelines. The World Health Organization declared COVID-19, the disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), a global pandemic on March 11, 2020. Encouraging hand hygiene may be one of the most cost-effective means of reducing the global burden of disease

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion