One of the most effective public health measures against COVID-19 and all other infectious diseases is frequent and effective handwashing.
The part of our hands we are least likely to wash is the area between the thumb and first finger – the bit that goes first onto handrails and door handles.
QUT public health researcher Dr Elke Hacker, from the Faculty of Health’s School of Public Health and Social Work studied the response of 550 young rugby league players at the Adrian Vowles Cup, a two-day carnival in Charleville, to wearing a sticker that changes colour when more sunscreen should be applied to keep skin safe from sun exposure.
The UV-detection stickers use UV sensitive dyes and a patented technology called dermatrue™ that absorbs sunscreen, just like skin does. Wearers put them on skin exposed to the sun and apply sunscreen over the sticker along with the rest of the body part being protected.
QUT researchers want to talk to people about a new virtual reality (VR) technology designed to assist with health education and wellbeing. You will be asked to participate in a 60 minute focus group at QUT, Kelvin Grove. Prior to attending the focus group, you will be asked to complete a short demographics survey, and asked to test the VR headsets in a 5-7 minute game, then provide feedback on the experience. You will also be asked to complete an online survey 7 days after the focus group
You can participate in this research if you are 18 years of age and over. Participants are ineligible if they are pregnant or have pre-existing conditions that may affect your virtual reality experience such as vision abnormalities, psychiatric disorders, suffer from a seizure disorder, heart conditions or other serious health conditions. Implanted medical devices such as cardiac pacemakers, hearing aids & defibrillators can be affected by virtual reality components magnetic field and are therefore excluded from this study.
“The method is simple,” Dr Hacker said. “You apply a fluorescent moisturiser to your hands and then wash them.
“Most of us, before the coronavirus epidemic, washed our hands for about five seconds, but since the outbreak we are taking longer washing them, however, technique is just as important as the time you spend with the soap and water.
