Of course correct hand washing is important using plenty of soap and water and adequate time taken but, inevitably, some children will not wash their hands properly leaving contamination on the hands. In addition to washing, how children dry their hands is also important. Some schools provide electric hand dryers for children. These can blow germs, including viruses including coronavirus, off the hands and into the toilet environment where they will contaminate surfaces, other children and can be inhaled as aerosol droplets (the respiratory tract being a prime infection site for coronavirus). The high-speed, jet air dryer type of hand dryer where the hands are moved up and down inside a chamber with open sides is especially likely to transmit contamination on the hands into the air. Some of these have claimed air speeds of over 400 mph (600 kph) and have been shown to transmit virus on the hands at least 3 metres and for virus to be detectable in the air over 15 minutes after use. Also, maximum contamination is blown out sideways at the height of a small child's face. Due to the pandemic, some shops and universities abroad have removed jet air dryers from their washrooms. UK schools should do the same and provide disposable paper towels which are far more hygienic. For proof see: