If there’s one piece of advice circulating at the moment to help stave off the coronavirus, it’s washing your hands.
Health experts are advising everyone we should be washing our hands very regularly and for 20-second periods in a bid to curb the spread of COVID-19.
But if you need a method for clocking your time at the sink, drag star Courtney Act has you covered.
“The World Health Organisation says to protect against Coronavirus you should wash your hands for 20 seconds or the time it takes to sing happy birthday twice,” Courtney wrote.
“They didn’t say it couldn’t be sexy and fun!”
The World Health Organisation says to protect against Coronavirus you should wash your hands for 20 seconds or the time it takes to sing happy birthday twice…they didn’t say it couldn’t be sexy and fun!#corona #washyourhands pic.twitter.com/swyUJnJioi
— Courtney Act (@courtneyact) March 12, 2020
Gay icon Gloria Gaynor also jumped on TikTok to show her followers how to use her legendary anthem I Will Survive for the same reason.
“It only takes :20 seconds to ‘SURVIVE!'” the disco diva captioned the video.
Gloria Gaynor washing her hands to I Will Survive is the hand washing video I didn’t know I needed pic.twitter.com/3HotD7RsS6
— grant 🧔🏻 (@urdadssidepiece) March 12, 2020
LGBTIQ community suggest their own methods
Other LGBTIQ folk have also shared their own methods to make sure they’re spending enough time at the sink.
One person is using Schitt’s Creek banger “A Little Bit Alexis”.
Someone else is suggesting using lines from the letter Carol writes to her lover Therese in Carol.
This one goes out to @blgtylr and @PhyllisNagy pic.twitter.com/Db3XFS9fc4
— Cheryl Graham 🩸🦷 (@FreeTransform) March 11, 2020
Another Twitter account suggests slightly repurposing a Britney Spears hit.
The only right way to do it. #YouBetterWashBitch pic.twitter.com/D5bo5pYjMc
— Saint Hoax (@SaintHoax) March 11, 2020
Another creative gay is using the speech Johnny delivers to Gheorghe in the gay drama God’s Own Country to keep coronavirus at bay.
instead of doing my homework i made a washyourlyrics thing with johnnys little speech to gheorghe in gods own country pic.twitter.com/3oNR8j4wGo
— josh’s meat plates (@josheverydaay) March 12, 2020
Guidance for LGBTIQ and HIV communities during coronavirus pandemic
Gay dating apps Scruff and Grindr have also instructed users to follow public health guidance and wash their hands, use hand sanitiser and avoid touching faces.
Grindr has instructed users to “listen to your body and stay home” if they feel sick.
“Some members of our community might be under more stress than others for a variety of reasons,” Grindr said.
“Take care of your mental health and be patient with those around you, both online and off.”
This week, the Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations also published a fact sheet with coronavirus guidance for LGBTIQ and HIV communities.
“COVID-19 is more serious for older people and those with a compromised immune system,” the AFAO advises.
“This includes people with HIV who have a low CD4 count and people who have cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic respiratory disease, hypertension, asthma and diabetes.
“People with HIV should consider having an extra months’ supply of HIV medication to accommodate a need to self-isolate, or delays in supply. This is also the case for people with other health conditions.
“If you’re taking PrEP and are concerned about maintaining your three-monthly appointments, talk to your doctor for more options.”
For the latest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) news in Australia, visit qnews.com.au. Check out our latest magazines or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
