Coronavirus: “Alt BA.2 is a reminder that hygiene cannot fall by the wayside”

When the World Health Organization calls an “Omicron Concern Option” – BA.2 – the Rickettian Institute of Global Hygiene emphasizes the importance of protecting personal and public hygiene. “The world must intensify sanitation efforts, otherwise it risks an increase in COVID-19 in the spring,” the institute said.

Since the day the pandemic began, hand washing, wearing masks, personal care, social distancing and social isolation have become commonplace to reduce COVID-19 infection. While some countries, including the UK, have since relaxed rules and regulations for such measures, recent options and sub-variables highlight criticism of maintaining sanitation habits.

“Over the past two years, people have learned their hygiene habits like never before. It is very clear now how important good hygiene is to our health, and just because COVID-19 rules are relaxed does not mean that our hygiene habits should be,” said Simon Sinclair, CEO of RGHI. be the same.”, the world is now much better equipped to prevent other diseases and infections.

BA.2 makes it clear that we have not seen the end of COVID-19, even with the UK not regulating sanitation. He continued, “This last line reminds us that everyone should still practice hand washing and disinfection to maintain their health and the health of the community.”

According to the Office for National Statistics, the number of COVID-19 cases in England rose to 3.5 million last week, marking the second highest peak in the country.

BA.2, known as the “stealth variant”, are subdivisions of the Omicron variant. It is said to be more contagious than the original alternative to Omicron, BA.1, which was already considered more contagious and less susceptible to vaccines and the protection offered by previous infections. The researchers also found that an Omicron infection can persist twice as long.

Now that it is the leading type of COVID-19, scientists warn that BA.2 can, at best, prevent a decline in infection, and at worst, trigger another wave. The UK is already seeing an increase in hospitalizations. Countries like France, Germany and Italy are also seeing high numbers, and the US is warning its citizens about potential growth as early as April.

At the same time, countries are reopening their doors to tourists, encouraging office work and opening up the mandate for face masks, which means the environment is more ripe for virus pressure than it has been in years. In order to maintain health, avoid vulnerabilities and protect health systems, it is important that people continue the habits of hand washing, hygiene and social distancing that were established in 2020 and 2021.

Last month, against the backdrop of the UK government’s decision to reduce testing, raise legal requirements for self-isolation and authorize work from home, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson stressed the need for “personal responsibility”.

“This is a great example of why personal responsibility is needed,” Simon Sinclair said. “New strains will persist, and no matter how contagious or severe the symptoms are, it is best to take precautions to avoid resuming the better hygiene habits they have acquired over the past two years.”

The Reckitt Institute for Global Health recommends continuing to wear a mask indoors and in high-risk areas where you can socialize outdoors, wiping down surfaces several times a day, and washing your hands frequently. At the same time, RGHI continues to promote and fund its hygiene science portfolio in hopes of providing more evidence-based advice for the new post-pandemic era, paving the way for better public health.

RGHI is a non-profit organization established in 2020 to generate and fund high-quality scientific research on the links between hygiene and health. The goal is to help inform the global health agenda while adopting better and more sustainable hygiene practices globally.

RGHI believes that more investment and work is needed in this area to develop more knowledge on various aspects of hygiene that will protect not only against epidemics but also common diseases such as influenza, cholera and diarrhoea.