Dr. Julia Schmitz spreads awareness on hand washing

Demorest, Georgia, Sept. 4, 2020- Piedmont College Biology Professor Dr. Julia Schmitz is hoping to spread awareness on the importance of handwashing, as the college looks to take part in Global Handwashing Day on Oct. 15.

Although the global pandemic has led to hand sanitizer stations being installed across campus, Schmitz said soap is a much better tool for stopping the spread of germs.

“Soap is going to be better for us to use the difference is that hand sanitizer has alcohol in it whereas soap use and alcohol slats in it so when washing your hands bacteria sticks to oils,” she said. “So when you are rising your hands, the bacteria will stick to the oils in the soap and come off your hands.”

Even the CDC is saying that washing your hand with soap is better for us to do then using hand sanitizer, but they also said if “soap is not available to make sure that you are using hand sanitizer that contains 60% or more alcohol and to make sure that you are cover all surfaces.”

On Thursday, Oct. 15, the college will be hosting a handwashing event in the Commons, as well as sponsoring a TikTok student video competition on handwashing. For more information about these events, email Joe Dennis at jdennis@piedmont.edu.

About Piedmont College: One of the most dynamic small colleges in the Southeast, Piedmont is an independent liberal arts college of more than 2,260 students. The college’s four schools—Arts & Sciences, Business, Education, and Nursing & Health Sciences—develop tomorrow’s leaders by engaging students in the classroom, in their community, and around the world.

Founded in 1897, Piedmont offers bachelor’s, master’s, specialist, and doctoral degree programs at its Demorest residential campus in the foothills of the northeast Georgia mountains and at its Athens campus in the heart of Georgia’s Classic City. Information can be found at http://www.piedmont.edu.