A video of a group of cops from the South Indian state of Kerala doing a 'hand washing dance' is going viral on Twitter. The video is part of the state's #BreaktheChain initiative which promotes hygeine habits like washing hands and using hand sanitizers to keep the novel coronavirus at bay.
Many Twitter users shared the video calling it "a good initiative".
The number of coronavirus cases in India climbed to 147 today, with Maharashtra reporting highest tally followed by Kerala.
To tackle the grappling situation, while launching the #Breakthechain campaign last week, Kerala's Health Minister Shailaja Teacher stressed the importance of keeping personal hygiene to protect the self and the community from Covid-19 infection.
"We are able to minimise the spread of the deadly virus with early surveillance and people's support. Now we need to follow personal hygiene as a healthy habit and wash our hands and face whenever we are in public contact. By doing it, we will be able to break the chain of virus infection," she said while washing her hand with an alcoholic hand rub solution.
The Kerala government has appealed all to promote 'break the chain' campaign as a safety measure.
What happens when you wash your hands
A drop of ordinary soap diluted in water is sufficient to rupture and kill many types of bacteria and viruses, including the new coronavirus that is currently circling the globe.
Here's how soap can kill the coronavirus:
When you wash your hands with soap and water, you surround any microorganisms on your skin with soap molecules. The hydrophobic tails of the free-floating soap molecules attempt to evade water; in the process, they wedge themselves into the lipid envelopes of certain microbes and viruses, prying them apart.
Essential proteins spill from the ruptured membranes into the surrounding water, killing the bacteria and rendering the viruses useless.
Wash your hands challenges on social media
Additionally, other videos of handwashing challenges are also making the rounds on YouTube and Twitter. K-pop fans have shared some videos, as have Hollywood and Bollywood celebrities.