Amid the coronavirus outbreak that has had an impact on millions all over the globe, Google pays tribute to Ignaz Semmelweis with a doodle highlighting the importance of washing hands.
Not only is Google paying tribute to Ignaz Semmelweis and his work but also creating awareness about the coronavirus outbreak all over the globe and educating people about washing hands- one of the important measure to prevent the spread of the deadly virus. It is also sharings tips and videos on the virus shared by World Health Organisation (WHO).
So far, nearly 8,000 people have succumbed to the virus and over one lakh people have been infected with the deadly virus.
Who is Ignaz Semmelweis?
Ignaz Semmelweis, famously known as the father of infection control, was an Hungarian physician and is recognised to be the first person to discover the benefits of washing hands. On March 20, 1947, Semmelweis when he was appointed as the chief resident in the maternity clinic of Vienna General hospital, he demonstrated the importance of clean hands and asked all phsyicians to disinfect their hands with chlorinated lime solution.
Well, before he was appointed as the chief resident, the death rate of new mothers was quite high attributing to the infection referred to at the time as childbed fever.
Investigating the cause of death, he found out that the doctors were carrying infectious diseases on their hands to new mothers. After making changes in the hospital, the mortality rate dropped from 18.27% to 1.27%.
Well, though the initiative showed success, his colleagues in the medical world ridiculed his initiative.
Ignaz Semmelweis became frustrated and also accused his counterparts of murder because of the lack of belief in the importance of cleanliness in medical perspective. He was eventually admitted to a mental hospital where he later died.
But..his ideas were validated only after his death. This development happened through the acceptance of germ theory of disease.
As advised by WHO, one should wash their hands properly for 20 seconds.
