As expected, people aren’t as vocal about handwashing online as they were mid-pandemic. Instead, we’ve settled into a more steady rhythm of handwashing commentary. Interestingly, the handwashing conversation is now lower than it was pre-pandemic. In 2019, a monthly average of 131k unique authors discussed washing hands on social media. In 2022, that average was 122k authors. 

All that said, there are still thousands of conversations about handwashing online every day. Looking into the themes arising in the conversation can tell us more about how the public is feeling.

Disgust and judgment

When looking at sentiment within the handwashing conversation, disgust is the most prevalent emotion. It accounted for almost 70% of emotion-categorized mentions in 2022. This is understandable, as we’re all more conscious of how a lack of hygiene impacts our health.

This disgust translates into heavy judgment on people who don’t wash their hands properly.

For some, this can cause stressful situations like feeling watched and judged while washing their hands.

Pandemic fatigue

Another explanation for the downturn in mentions of handwashing since the pandemic could be ‘pandemic fatigue.’ Now that COVID-19 is largely under control, handwashing just isn’t so top of mind, and people are fed up of hearing about it.

Ultimately, lower mentions means there are fewer reminders out there to wash your hands properly. While it might not be a cause-and-effect relationship, some studies suggest that handwashing has actually decreased over time. The UK’s Food Standards Agency reported that “the proportion who reported handwashing with soap and warm water ‘always’ or ‘most of the time’ declined over time (79% April 2020, compared to 68% in January 2022).”

What’s the link to norovirus?

Norovirus outbreaks are spreading across the US and UK, and unwashed hands are a huge part of the problem. 

People are taking to social media to share their concerns, and, perhaps encouragingly, ‘wash’ and ‘hands’ steal a large portion of the norovirus conversation. Other hygiene-related topics also arise, including ‘wash your hands,’ ‘bacteria,’ and ‘soap.’

Word cloud showing key topics in the norovirus conversation

Data covers mentions on Twitter, Reddit, and Tumblr between 29 Jan – 20 Feb 2023.

It’s hard to say how much social media posts impact individuals’ hygiene habits, but organizations looking to stop the spread of viruses should take social seriously as a channel for sharing information and keep in mind the impact of pandemic fatigue.