Washing habits

I have noticed that literature now reports that the novel coronavirus has been found in the faeces of infected patients. In separate technical reports, Covid-19 is supposedly spreading more rapidly in some societies, and not so rapidly in others. For example, the pandemic spread more rapidly in Italy, UK and the US. Whereas, it is spreading in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia a little more slowly. We don't know how it will be in the future, but at present, we are keeping our fingers crossed. In separate technical details, a WHO report mentions that in Pakistan the disease is spreading in clusters. The reasons may be multi-factorial and very complicated and it may be difficult to establish a cause-effect relationship. However I have one specific observation for consideration.

The major difference between Pakistan and the developed world, probably, is the method of ablution after using the toilet. In contrast in the developed world, a toilet paper is used. This difference is quite significant. In the meanwhile, I would request everyone to wash their hands for 20 seconds with soap and water whenever one uses the toilet.

Irfan U Khattak

Abbottabad