THE health of the Limestone Coast community is in your hands.
This is the message flowing from the health workers at the coal face of protecting the region from the coronavirus pandemic and other infectious diseases on World Hand Hygiene Day today.
While the global event largely goes unnoticed every year, the importance of hand washing has never been so vital given the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite South Australia yesterday recording no new COVID-19 cases for the 12th consecutive day, regional health workers warn the region is not out of the woods.
Mount Gambier infection prevention and control nurse consultant Nicole Vause yesterday congratulated the Limestone Coast community for practising good hand hygiene and social distancing measures to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Although the region had not recorded a new confirmed case for more than a month, she warned it was no time for complacency.
“You only need to look at Victoria to realise we are not out of the woods yet, pandemics come in waves,” Ms Vause said.
“These measures have proven to be effective in South Australia.”
She argued the measures were also vital given the community was heading into winter months and the influenza season.
“We had a large number of influenza cases across the state last year, hopefully we will not see that this year,” Ms Vause said.
She said practising good hand-washing was paramount in the fight against COVID-19.
“Hand hygiene is the most basic, simplest and effective infection prevention measure we can do,” Ms Vause said.
She said hand hygiene was paramount not just in the community, but when people walked through the doors of regional hospitals.
These measures were also critical for health care workers in the health system.
“Today, more than ever, it is so vital that by doing hand hygiene, we provide safe care,” Ms Vause said.
“When visitors come into the hospital, they obviously need to wash their hands as they come through the front doors to remove any bugs they have on them they have touched in the environment.
“We also encourage our patients, if they have not seen health care workers wash their hands, that it is okay to ask ‘do you mind washing your hands before you touch me?’.”
She said hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette and social distancing were vital at this time.
Ms Vause said staff were also regularly monitored to ensure they were correctly fitting their protective personnel equipment to safeguard against breaches.
“Our cleaners are also having a significant contribution to maintaining our safe environment and decreasing environmental contamination. They are the silent heroes at our hospital,” she said.
Ms Vause said World Hand Hygiene Day was also aligned with the Year of the Nurse and Midwife, which recognised frontline heroes.
Associate nurse unit manager Sharon Otterspoor reiterated the message flowing from her colleague.
“I think the community should be congratulated for keeping to those social distancing measures, which has minimised the effect of COVID-19 on our region,” Ms Otterspoor said.
She said these hygiene practices needed to continue forever.
