As the world keeps battling the coronavirus pandemic, with hopes that a vaccine will soon emerge to end the nightmare, several directions have been given for people to protect themselves from contracting the disease.

One of these directions which have been given over and over again is to ‘keep your hands off your face’.

Even before the outbreak of coronavirus, people have been advised to keep their hands off their faces because the hands carry germs which are easily transported into other parts of the body through the various openings on the face.

These germs can cause respiratory infections like pneumonia or flu.

But touching the face is a common habit that is not easy to do away with and for many, it has become an involuntary act.

Based on a 2015 study, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology estimates that the average person touches their face 23 times within an hour.

To help keep the hands off one’s face, experts have suggested some actions to take.

- Keep your hands busy: Experts believe physically touching something else can help people get over the urge of touching their face.

- Have someone help you by pointing out when you are touching your face

- Pay attention to the things that trigger you to put your hands on any part of your face such as nail-biting.

- Whenever you feel the urge to scratch an itch, adjust your glasses, rub your nose or do anything on your face, experts advise that you use a tissue instead of your hand.

To prove how difficult it is to keep ones hands off the face as has been advised, GhanaWeb put the lens on Members of Parliament during Monday's sitting.

Though attendance wasn’t encouraging, some of those present were captured with their hands on parts of the faces at one time or another.

Watch the video below