Washing hands often and thoroughly is the advice given by the WHO to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. But the question is how water shortage communities/household will wash their hands and help to prevent COVID-19?
Globally, more than two billion people live without reliable access to safe and clean water and many of them have lack sanitation and hand washing facilities. Washing hand is expected to cause a huge spike in water demand and pose a risk to global food markets and could intensify food and water poverty. How the complex global problem can be solved? People need to be very conscious for effective and judicial use of water.
This CDC post is useful
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/water.html
Also read this ScieDevNet article "
Slightly dirty water ‘still ok’ against coronavirus" at
https://www.scidev.net/asia-pacific/water/news/slightly-dirty-water-still-ok-against-coronavirus-1.html?utm_medium=email&utm_source=SciDevDailyDigest&utm_campaign=south-asia%20SciDev.Net%20daily%20update%3A%2024%20March%202020
A good question, and needs a smart answer.
1. Stay at home then they will need only small amount of water.
2. Reuse water if possible,
3. A person in that situation will find a better method of keeping himself save from the covid19.
I hope this answer your question.
I think the water use required for hand washing will be minimal and not put a strain on water resources.
There should be an alternative to washing hands frequently which includes organic sanitizer that is not produced in industries.
For poor people in Asia and Africa washing hands often and thoroughly is hardly possible when they do not have access to clean water. Many of them need to travel for more than 1 km to get clean water.
The combat of COVID-19 has many different approaches:
- good hygienic conditions (addressed here),
- wearing masks/Visors/goggles,
- social distancing,
- less social contacts (stay at home advice)...
Some can be addressed even without water some not (since living in a slum or a refugee camp also means being in crammed space with many persons)...
The WHO gives sound advice but possibly the poorest may not be able to follow (e.g. the homeless in the US or in the UK or Germany)...
One last idea - there must be other ways of cleaning the heands under dry conditions, e.g. use plant leaves or dust.
I think inigeious societies are still doing this...
Shortage of water in communities can be looked at in two dimensions. Urban shortage and rural shortage. Rural shortage is not a big problem as social distancing can be achieved. In urban areas, shortage of water will surge in spread of the virus.