During a typical winter, I would be having issues with dry hands. I have always had very dry skin and eczema, and I am also a germophobe, so washing hands regularly is a must to begin with. But COVID-19 has brought on a new intimidation when it comes to washing your hands: the fact that not washing your hands before doing things such as eating could lead to contracting coronavirus.

Coronavirus is terrifying due to its high infection rate and that it is in some cases deadly. So because I am a germophobe, I snack all day, I have a small bladder, and I am running from COVID-19, I wash my hands a lot. This is important because we touch our faces, our food, and our phones all day long.

If there are germs on our fingers and our fingers rub our eyes, those germs have now entered a mucous membrane, which is how they enter our bodies and infect us. Other mucous membranes include the mouth and nose, your windpipe (COVID-19 is known to spread just by breathing in the same air as someone who is infected), as well as the urethra. However, as my fellow dry-skinned friends very well know, when your hands become dry, they begin to crack and bleed.

So now we have added cuts all over the hands! Another major way that germs enter the body is through open wounds such as cuts or abrasions. I wash my hands to avoid catching COVID-19 (among other things) only to add another factor that makes me more susceptible. This is what I like to call the vicious cycle of being a germophobe (who snacks a lot, has a small bladder, and is experiencing a pandemic).

I do my best to apply lotion as frequently as possible and immediately after washing and completely drying my hands. I recommend going for the top-notch skin repairing brands and not the stuff that's scented. I like Eucerin, Lubriderm, and L'Occitane. Vaseline is also an excellent solution. If it gets really bad before bed, apply Vaseline, then heavy-duty lotion, and put gloves or socks on your hands. If you sleep like that, you should be in a better condition in the morning. They also make aloe and lotion infused gloves to combat dry skin and eczema that are good to wear overnight, too.

COVID-19 seems like it's going to be around for a while, and a vaccine may take quite some time to arrive, so please do keep washing your hands. It is one of the best ways to fight the virus! And if that leads to some dry skin, maybe even severely dry skin, lather up. Wash away the germs and seal up the cuts. It may be a long road ahead, but we can all get through it with soap, hot water, lotion, and a whole lot of love.