Escalator handrails
Escalator handrails are most often located in public areas such as malls, where dozens of people walk by every single day. They are also among the most common surfaces people touch the most. Escalator handrails might receive a lot more attention now, amid the coronavirus pandemic, and get disinfected more often, but this does not mean they’re safe to rest your hands on them.
“[When] a person coughs or sneezes their viral particles onto their hands, and/or the railings, those particles get transferred to the next person,” says Tsippora Shainhouse, MD, a pediatric dermatologist in Beverly Hills, California. Here are other Ordinary Objects You Should Avoid Touching During Coronavirus Outbreak.
Water fountains
“Because many people touch the spout with either their lips or the mouth of their reusable water bottles, it is a direct way of touching someone else’s saliva and transmitting infection,” says Shainhouse. However, the spread does not stop there.
“Touching the handle is like touching all of the dirty hands that touched the handle right before you,” Shainhouse says. “Those hands might have wiped a nose or mouth before touching the handle, potentially spreading viruses.” To avoid any unpleasant situations, carry your own water bottle.
