Water insecurity compounds the global coronavirus crisis

Staddon, Chad, Everard, M., Mytton, Julie, Octavianti, T., Powell, W., Quinn, N., Uddin, S. M. N., Young, S. L., Miller, J. D., Budds, J., Geere, Jo-Anne ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9071-2778, Meehan, Katie, Charles, K., Stevenson, E. V. J., Vonk, J. and Mizniak, J. (2020) Water insecurity compounds the global coronavirus crisis. Water International, 45 (5). pp. 416-422. ISSN 0250-8060

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Abstract

In recent weeks, people all over the world have been settling into a ‘new normal’ of restricted mobility, online working, social distancing and enhanced hand hygiene. As part of the global fight against the spread of COVID-19 (the illness caused by SARS-CoV-2), we are repeatedly reminded by public health authorities that frequent and thorough hand-washing with soap and water is one of the best ways of limiting transmission. The rationale behind this is clear: washing regularly and thoroughly physically degrades and removes viral particles from hands, and therefore lowers the likelihood of infection transmission. Many health agencies are recommending washing hands for a minimum of 20 seconds up to 8–10 times per day. If washed in running water, the average hand basin tap uses 2–3 litres per minute, which implies a total water requirement of 8–10 litres of clean water per person per day, as well as appropriate soap and drying facilities (i.e. not a reused and possibly contaminated towel or rag).

Item Type: Article
Additional Information: Correction at 10.1080/02508060.2020.1769345
Uncontrolled Keywords: water science and technology,management, monitoring, policy and law ,/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2300/2312
Faculty \ School: Faculty of Social Sciences > School of Global Development (formerly School of International Development)
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > School of Health Sciences
UEA Research Groups: Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Centres > Water Security Research Centre
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Epidemiology and Public Health
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Rehabilitation
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Public Health and Health Services Research (former - to 2023)
University of East Anglia Schools > Faculty of Science > Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research
Faculty of Science > Research Centres > Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Centres > Population Health
Related URLs:
Depositing User: LivePure Connector
Date Deposited: 07 Oct 2020 23:58
Last Modified: 19 Oct 2023 02:46
URI: https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/77162
DOI: 10.1080/02508060.2020.1769345

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