Thinking back to the mid-2020 pandemic, I still feel my fingertips getting dry.

The tense moments of washing my hands after grocery shopping, the habit of immediately pulling out hand sanitizer after pressing the elevator button.

We truly poured our hearts into the simple act of 'hand washing' back then. We kept alcohol spray by the front door and lined up various scented hand sanitizers by the sink as we faced the coronavirus.

However, these days in the summer of 2025, it seems that passion has cooled down significantly.

Hand sanitizer now rolls around somewhere in my bag, and the time spent washing hands has decreased from the previous 30 seconds to about 10 seconds.

Especially when I see more people looking at their phones rather than going to wash their hands while waiting for food at restaurants, I wonder if we are living in a sense of relief.

But according to a friend who works in a hospital, hand hygiene is still key to preventing infectious diseases.

Not only COVID-19 but also flu, norovirus, and even summer food poisoning can be transmitted through hands.

In densely populated cities like New York, if one person neglects hand hygiene, the impact can snowball.

These days, I consciously try to wash my hands 'like during the pandemic.'

If I grab a subway handrail, as soon as I arrive at my destination, or after touching cash or coins, I make sure to wash my hands with soap.

When 30 seconds feels long, I sometimes hum a line from my favorite song to keep track of the time.

This small habit has taught us that it can be a shield to protect myself and those around me during the pandemic.

To wash hands thoroughly with soap, first, wet your hands sufficiently under running water.

Then, lather soap and rub the palms and backs of your hands alternately, making sure to clean between your fingers, your thumbs, and under your nails.

It's good to rub your fingertips against the opposite palm in a circular motion.

You need to scrub for at least 30 seconds to effectively remove germs and viruses. After washing, rinse off the soap completely under running water, and dry your hands with a disposable paper towel or a clean towel. In public restrooms, using the paper towel you held to turn off the faucet and to open the restroom door can prevent recontamination.

We have weathered the storm, but it is best not to forget the lessons we learned then.

Washing hands is not just an act of keeping myself clean, but the most basic and certain way to protect each other in this vast city.