Ever since the deadly coronavirus made headlines, health experts have been advising people on the need for personal hygiene. They have been asking people to wash hands frequently, not to touch their faces and stay away from sick people. However, it looks like this simple instruction is not that easy to be followed.
"Today, start working on touching your face because one main way virus is spread is when you touch your own mouth, nose, and eyes," the US health expert Sara Cody is heard saying during the conference held recently. However, immediately after saying this she herself is seen licking her finger just to flip the page that she was reading. it looks like people are finding it difficult to take their own advice and it clearly indicates how tough it is to overcome one's bad habits despite knowing the ill effects.
Since then the director of Santa Clara County Public Health Department in California has become the butt of all jokes. The video, shared by Rex Chapman on March 4, 2020, has gone viral with netizens teasing the health expert for not following the important instruction within minutes of advising the public. The 14-second clip has been viewed over 6.9 million times, at the time of reporting.
In yet another video that is doing the rounds on social media, US representative for New York's 14th congressional district, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, is seen simultaneously moving her hair from the face and scratching her nose while giving instructions to stop the spreading of COVID-19.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump recently claimed on not touching his face for weeks ever since the start of the virus outbreak in the country. "I haven't touched my face in weeks. It's been weeks. I miss it," Trump was heard saying during the press conference. However, many netizens have pointed out that the President was caught on camera touching his face several times in recent days.
But can we blame anyone for touching their face? According to a behavioral observation study involving 26 medical students at the University of New South Wales in 2015, it was proved that each of them has touched their face at least 23 times per hour!
Coronavirus in the US
The novel coronavirus is said to have claimed the lives of 14 people in the US while 129 people have been tested positive to the virus infection as confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as of March 5.
Here's how netizens reacted to these viral videos:
@SweetNutrients
The thing is, she doesn't even know she did it. That's why this approach is so ineffective.
@Harpwood1
This is funny and shows how incredibly hard it is to do.
@realist_brutal
This can't be real! Is this real?? Oh my god this is real!!
@StatBoy_Steven
I never understood why people have to lick their fingers before turning over paper.
@TedCornwell
Then she gives the paper to a staffer...
