The importance of handwashing hasn’t been emphasized more than during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Handwashing Awareness Week seeks to illustrate the effect handwashing can have in preventing the spread of viruses as well. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, keeping hands clean can prevent one in three diarrheal illnesses and one in five respiratory infections, such as a cold or influenza. Washington County Public Health Administrator Danielle Pettit-Majewski encourages the public to wash their hands frequently, with many key times including before, during, and after preparing food, before and after eating food, after using the toilet, after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing; after touching an animal, animal feed, or animal waste; and after touching garbage.