Why is touching the face the easiest way to turn yourself into a virus victim?

Lately, in the face of the COVID-19 situation that is raising fears of a global pandemic, we have been repeatedly reminded of the need to wash our hands regularly and not to raise our hands. face . So what is the reason why this seemingly innocuous habit has become the preferred route of transmission of the virus?

That's because people's faces are, literally, filled with 'dangerous holes' that can pave the way for viruses to enter the body. "Picking your nose, rubbing your eyes, putting your hands on your lips, your mouth . in a way, we often put our hands to our face many times a day and this is really a difficult habit to quit ," said Nancy C. Elder, professor Family medicine at Oregon Health and Science University, USA, shared in an interview with The New York Times.

Putting your hands on your nose, mouth and eyes is the best way for viruses to enter a host's body.

Of course, saying that does not mean putting your hands on your eyes, nose, or mouth that you will get COVID-19, because it depends on where your hand has touched. The new strain of Corona virus can survive in tiny droplets of droplets emanating from the infected person, clinging to public surfaces such as door handles, escalator railings or elevator buttons . If you touch them surfaces that are covered with liquid particles containing COVID-19 and accidentally reach into the above areas - condolences, the worst scenario has occurred. The problem is that we cannot know if the public surfaces have viruses, so besides regular hand sanitizing, stopping the habit of putting hands on the face is a key factor.

Viruses such as Corona, nose, mouth and eyes are the best way for them to enter the host body. The cause lies in the mucus layer present in these areas.

This mucus consists mostly of water, along with a little fat, salt and immune cells, in fact it is a protective barrier of the body's natural immune system, helping to prevent the causative agent harmful as bacteria, viruses: 'This compound forms a strong adhesion network, like a glue trap that makes bacteria try to penetrate trapped, preventing them from moving deeper into the body. After that, antibodies, immune cells, antibacterial proteins and infectious viruses in mucus can destroy the pathogens or isolate them to prevent the buildup. "

However, if the virus / bacteria attack in large numbers, they can still bypass this protective mucus and penetrate directly into the internal organs, where they begin to fully expose the danger. Not only COVID-19, most respiratory viruses like influenza and other germs enter the body in the same way.

After all, it is obvious that stopping hands on eyes, nose, mouth in any situation is very necessary , but to be fair, this is really a habit that is difficult to quit and wants to quit will need a lot. time. (Perhaps many people also accidentally brought their hands to their mouths or rubbed their eyes when reading this article.)

Until we can actually get rid of this habit, the only advice is: Wash your hands, wash your hands, and wash your hands - especially when you've just been to a public place .

1. Why is it difficult to put your hands on your face even if you need a room for translation?