Global Voices’ pecial coverage of thse global impact of COVID-19.


 Hand sanitizer is a liquid, gel, or foam generally used to decrease infectious agents on the hands.[3][4] In most settings, hand washing with soap and water is generally preferred.[5][6][7] Hand sanitizer is less effective at killing certain kinds of germs, such as norovirus and Clostridium difficile and unlike soap and water, it cannot remove harmful chemicals.[5] People may incorrectly wipe off hand sanitizer before it has dried,[5] and some are less effective because their alcohol concentrations are too low.[5]
In most healthcare settings alcohol-based hand sanitizers are preferable to hand washing with soap and water.[8][9] Reasons include it being better tolerated and more effective.[4] Hand washing with soap and water; however, should be carried out if contamination can be seen, or following the use of the toilet.[10] The general use of non-alcohol-based hand sanitizers has no recommendations.[8]







As the world grapples with the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, the dire issues faced by vulnerable refugee and migrant populations are compounded. Discrimination against the Rohingya community has been exacerbated by the current crisis as Bangladesh recently annouced that it would not allow more Rohingya refugees to enter the country. In mid-April, fishing trawlers filled with Rohingya asylum seekers were turned away by Malaysian authorities over COVID-19 fears.
Rohingya migrants are also facing an increase in xenophobic and anti-immigrant pushback from Malaysians during the pandemic, and doubts about Bangladesh's ability to handle an outbreak in its over-populated refugee camps are still in question.
To document the COVID-19 crisis through their own eyes, the Rohingya Photography Competition has been organized by London-based British-Bangladeshi documentary filmmaker Shafiur Rahman. The competition is open to members of the Rohingya community all over the world and will run from April 23 to August 23. The main categories are “Rohingya life” and “Response to Coronavirus” and selection of photographs will be exhibited at the Human Rights Research and Education Centre (HRREC) in Ottawa, Canada and the Oxford Human Rights Festival in Oxford, UK.
Global Voices interviewed Rahman by email to talk about what inspired him to create this competition and what he hopes to achieve.
Global Voices (GV): Tell us a bit about yourself and how you ended up shooting documentaries about the Rohingya community.
  • Before putting on a mask, clean hands with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.
  • Cover mouth and nose with mask and make sure there are no gaps between your face and the mask.
  • Avoid touching the mask while using it; if you do, clean your hands with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.
  • Replace the mask with a new one as soon as it is damp and do not re-use single-use masks.
  • To remove the mask: remove it from behind (do not touch the front of mask); discard immediately in a closed bin; clean hands with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.