Usually a meeting with the nail aesthetist relaxes, but today, when the coronavirus is closer than ever, maybe the long nails should turn us into trouble?
"Long nails are not ideal for spreading the virus simply because they want more time to clean," says Dr. Niket Sonpal, gastroenterologist and professor at Touro College. "People forget that they have to be thoroughly washed under the nails as most of the bacteria and dirt are there."
The virus, which originated in Wuhan, China, arrived in Albania a few days ago. Today the first two cases were confirmed. So far (March 9th), more than 110,000 people have been infected, over 3800 have died and over 62,000 have been cured.
The virus passes from one person to another through the airways, so if a carrier is coughing, coughing or standing too close to someone. These droplets make contact with the mouth or nose and find their way to the lungs.
You can also get COVID-19 by touching an object or surface that has a virus and then touching your nose, mouth or eyes. However, this is not the primary way of transmitting the virus.
Therefore washing your hands is very important. The only way to protect yourself is to wash your hands regularly, avoid touching your face, and keep your distance from others.
For people with long nails, be sure to wash your hands with soap for 20 seconds, but also add the time you need to carefully scrub under the nails. You may get infected by scratching your nose or rubbing your eye.
It is advisable to keep the nails short and cut regularly during this period. You can also clean the cuticles as they serve as a barrier to bacteriosis and infections.
It is extremely important that you do not eat nails as they infiltrate the bacteria and possibly the virus immediately in the mouth.
Adapted from InStyle