TY - JOUR AU - Noor Azizah Mohd Ali, AU - Thudawe Yohani Shavindi Dalugoda, AU - Emma L Ballard, AU - Jacqueline Jauncey-Cooke, AU - Fiona Bogossian, PY - 2020/10/01 Y2 - 2024/03/29 TI - COVID-19 PANDEMIC IS A RENEWED CALL FOR ‘SPEAKING UP FOR HAND HYGIENE JF - Malaysian Journal of Medical Research (MJMR) JA - Malaysian Journal of Medical Research VL - 4 IS - 4 SE - DO - 10.31674/MJMR.2020.V04I04.007 UR - https://ejournal.lucp.net/index.php/mjmr/article/view/1195 SP - 32-34 AB - <p style="text-align: justify;">As of the 31<sup>st</sup> July 2020, more than&nbsp; 17 million confirmed COVID-19 cases with over 668k deaths have been reported worldwide (World Health Organisation (WHO), 2020). The COVID-19 virus is genetically similar to the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) (Nussbaumer‐Streit <em>et al</em><em>., </em>2020; Zhao <em>et al</em><em>.,</em> 2020). However, initial investigations of the basic reproduction number (Ro) of COVID-19 shows higher transmissibility than SARS and MERS (Zhao <em>et al</em><em>.</em>,2020). The mode of transmission of COVID-19 is mainly through close contacts via droplets from human to human (World Health Organisation (WHO), 2020). Whilst researchers around the world are focused on developing a vaccine for COVID-19, transmission preventative measures become the most effective means of response.</p> ER -