Coronavirus sparks new hand-washing challenge on TikTok, including 'I Will Survive,' from Gloria Gaynor
A hand-washing trend has officially hit TikTok after singer Gloria Gaynor took to the social media platform to share her strategy on how to “Survive” during the coronavirus outbreak.
The 70-year-old disco-era icon posted the video on Tuesday in which she lip-synced to her own famous song while demonstrating that it’s perfect for keeping occupied while properly washing your hands. “It only takes 20 seconds to ‘SURVIVE’!” she wrote, drawing attention to the CDC’s recommendation of using soap and water for at least that amount of time.
The video follows a dance trend called the #GhenCoVyChallenge that originated in Vietnam in mid February, after a dancer shared choreography to a song with words re-written by Vietnam's National Institute of Occupational and Environmental Health to teach people how to practice proper hygiene in response to the coronavirus. The song was featured on John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight where it gained widespread attention.
Still, people joked that there was a need for a more straightforward hand-washing trend to hit TikTok — where videos tend to get millions of views, inspire countless duplications and create cultural impact — in order to get people to be more diligent about washing their hands.
that's right kids it's the
~~WASH YOUR HANDS CHALLENGE 2020~~
bet you can't wash *YOUR* hands with soap and water for *20 SECONDS*
PROVE ME WRONG— Charles Bergquist (@cbquist) February 28, 2020
can some popular celebrities post videos of people exuberantly dancing while washing hands on TikTok or something please
— Charles Bergquist (@cbquist) February 28, 2020
The #IWillSurviveChallenge inspired by Gaynor is just one of the trends that’s taken off since. However, there are other videos currently trending on the app that have inspired a larger TikTok partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO) to bring more attention to the necessity of hand-washing and get people to practice hand hygiene in a fun way.
The hashtag #safehands will be launching on the app’s discover page on Saturday, according to a TikTok spokesperson, where people will be encouraged to upload their own videos demonstrating what songs, movie quotes or thoughts occupy their minds as they wash for the recommended time. WHO uploaded its own video to start the challenge.
This partnership is the latest in TikTok’s other efforts to combat misinformation about coronavirus on the app, whose spokesperson additionally tells Yahoo Lifestyle that TikTok is excited to see the community amplifying positive and helpful trends.
For the latest news on the evolving coronavirus outbreak, follow along here. According to experts, people over 60 and those who are immunocompromised continue to be the most at risk. If you have questions, please reference the CDC and WHO’s resource guides.
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