Handwashing is suddenly a national obsession. If you add up the number of people sick with the regular flu and those with the coronavirus, then toss in all the people who are washing their hands every few minutes, it’s a wonder any work at all is getting done in this country.

The reason your store’s toilet paper section is empty is not due to a TP shortage, but because the employees aren’t available to stock the shelves since they’re constantly in the restroom washing their hands or running to the Purell hand-sanitizer dispenser.

There has been an outpouring of criticism regarding President Donald Trump’s response to the coronavirus outbreak in the United States. Most alarming has been the president’s perceived ignorance concerning basic health issues.

For example, President Trump seemingly does not understand the difference between a vaccine and a cure when it comes to disease. He even appeared shocked when informed that people actually die from the regular flu! Apparently, that has never been mentioned on Fox News.

I believe that the president could easily alleviate a great deal of public scrutiny and pressure by making a simple presidential proclamation. Now is not the time to declare obscure proclamations like his recent “Memorandum on the Effect of Titanium Sponge Imports on the National Security.” Not when the nation is facing such a health crisis.

What Trump should do instead is make a bold, daring proclamation directly related to dealing with the coronavirus outbreak. I recommend proclaiming that the 2020 “Global Handwashing Day” be moved from its normal date of Oct. 15 to March 18.

I know, I know, this could possibly throw a real monkey wrench into your family’s hand-washing holiday plans already laid out for Oct. 15. But, really, don’t you agree that such a change would be a small sacrifice to make for the health and well being of the nation?

Global Handwashing Day is a worldwide annual event that was founded by the Global Handwashing Partnership. On its website, the partnership explains that “The first Global Handwashing Day was held in 2008, when over 120 million children around the world washed their hands with soap in more than 70 countries."

I recall the very moment that happened quite vividly because I was standing in the shower around noon on Oct. 15, 2008, when suddenly the water turned ice-cold and the pressure dropped to a mere trickle.

It doesn’t seem to matter if you’re watching the news or a basketball game, somebody is reminding you to wash your hands properly. I’m ashamed to admit that I washed my hands incorrectly much of my life. By incorrectly, I mean not at all.

That’s especially concerning since I’m pretty sure that I stuck a finger in my ear, eye, nose, mouth, etc., countless times throughout the day as a child. Really, it’s a miracle that I lived to adulthood.

However, I am not alone. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported in 2018 that no more than 2 percent of participants in a food preparation study “included all steps necessary to be considered an adequate handwashing event.”

A “handwashing event”? I mean, sure, the year I worked as a hospital orderly and watched the doctors prepare for surgery, that was a hand-washing event. But for the average guy preparing to eat barbecue ribs, that sounds like a bit much.

Nonetheless, it’s obvious that people are now seeking more information about proper handwashing since Google reported that searches for the phrase “wash your hands” were at record highs last week.

We’ve all probably heard the suggestion to wash our hands with soap and water long enough to sing “Happy Birthday” twice. But if we’re going to follow the advice of one medical website, which is to wash our hands once every couple of minutes, that could get rather monotonous.

So, the LA Times printed some alternate song selections. Like Dolly Parton’s “Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene / I’m begging of you please don’t take my man” and Toto’s "Africa" chorus “It’s gonna take a lot to drag me away from you.”

Of course, like anything else, one can overdo it when it comes to handwashing. Over-washing can lead to dry hands which crack and bleed, allowing germs to enter the body. Yikes!

To avoid this pitfall, one can occasionally substitute hand sanitizer like Purell. This alternative has become so popular that there appears to be a shortage of it in stores. This has led to some price gouging and desperate measures.

But then if you use too much hand sanitizer, you can kill bacteria you need for your immune system and allow antibiotic-resistant bugs to invade your body. Good Lord!

If you have read the popular rumor on social media that one can make hand sanitizer at home using Tito’s Vodka, it’s not true. Instead, I suggest using that case of vodka you purchased for something else, like throwing a party for you and your friends to relieve some of the media-caused stress surrounding the coronavirus scare.

Just remember — no high-fives and no handshaking!

Some researchers believe hand sanitizer overuse may be causing children to lose the ability to build up resistance to bacteria. This is one growing theory about the increase in number of children with allergies and environmental sensitivities.

Mike Murphy of Pocatello is an award-winning columnist whose articles are syndicated by Senior Wire. He recently published a book titled "Tortoise Crossing – Expect Long Delays," which is a collection of 100 of his favorite columns. It is available on Amazon.com.