Culture

To Help Prevent Coronavirus, Here Are The Songs You Can Properly Wash Your Hands To

Why boringly wash your hands to 'Happy Birthday' when you could belt out 'Truth Hurts' by Lizzo?!

by Michelle Rennex  3 March 2020
coronavirus wash hands songs

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As COVID-19 coronavirus continues to spread across the world, people have become increasingly fearful about contracting the disease.

Currently countries like Australia and the US have gone into panic mode, and have begun stockpiling nonperishables to prepare for the worst. It’s worth noting that the death rate for the virus is still only at around 2 percent.

To help prevent the spread, government bodies — like the Centres For Disease Control and Prevention — have encouraged frequent hand washing as it works to kill any viruses that may be present on the skin.

In line with their hand washing advice, these government groups have suggested that you scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. As a way to informally time the 20 seconds, even the World Health Organisation recommends that you sing ‘Happy Birthday’ twice while washing.

While ‘Happy Birthday’ is a good starting point, people online began brainstorming other 20-second long choruses we could belt out while washing our hands.

For a little more flavour, @JenMonnier created a thread of upbeat tunes worthy of half a minute of our time — including ‘Love on Top’ by Beyoncé, ‘Landslide’ by Fleetwood Mac, ‘Raspberry Beret’ by Prince, ‘Jolene’ by Dolly Parton, ‘Africa’ by Toto, and even ‘Truth Hurts’ by Lizzo.

Other hits that fit the 20-second hand washing recommendation include ‘Mambo No. 5’ by Lou Bega, Cher’s ‘Believe’, ‘Mr Brightside’ by the Killers, and even every five-year-old’s favourite — the classic recitation of the alphabet.


The chatter about songs appropriate for the time recommendation also sparked conversation about the always health-friendly ‘Stayin’ Alive’ by the Bee Gees.

Not only is the chorus just over 20 seconds long, but the beat follows the correct tempo used in CPR practices. This is also the case for Queen’s ‘Another One Bites The Dust’.

For the more emo of us, the dramatic intro to ‘Welcome to the Black Parade’ by My Chemical Romance is also a nice way to help reduce the risk of spreading coronavirus too. And for the more daring, singing ‘Happy Birthday Mr President’ puts a nice, sexy twist on disease prevention.