To bath or not to bath, why is there even a question?

In 2019 a series of hygiene related tweets went viral. It was a very informative year of the home practises of others around the world. Some things I thought were standards for all seemed to be optional tasks for others, bathing apparently was one of those things. I wrote this shortly after but never published it. Now in 2021 in the Coronavirus era, I feel this needs to come back into the spotlight.

I love water but at the same time I have this tiny fear of it at the back of my mind. My love for water made me work hard to push this fear into the far corner of my mind but it occasionally surfaces.

When I was little when I’d shower the water running on my face would make me feel like I was drowning, a memory that couldn’t possibly be from my little 6 year lifetime. Despite this fear I’d have my daily shower. After my showers my skin would always feel itchy and very dry, so I’d rub every inch of skin with lotion sometimes twice before I’d feel fine. I assumed everyone had this same issue hence the purpose of lotion; it wasn't until two decades later I would learn that I have eczema and a lot of people, mostly Caucasians, don’t even put lotion on after a shower, this information still shocks me.

The only times I haven’t showered days in a row were because of depression linked to hormonal imbalances thanks to my PCOS and Endometriosis and after my surgery. I assumed lack of daily hygiene was always a sign of mental health problems, but after reading several threads where mostly Caucasians discussed showering and the necessary frequency, I’ve learnt that I’m wrong at least when it comes to Caucasians.

Some may say the spread pattern of the coronavirus also matches the hygiene pattern of the world. Cultures that bathe thoroughly multiple times a day as well as wash their hands frequently due to utilizing their hands more to eat seemed to be seeing a much slower spread of the virus.

Since the virus, many African nations have made hand washing stations mandatory and available everywhere, the same has not been the case for western countries.

I wonder why that is? Why the lack of embracing and elevating hygiene? Why were many protesting it? Do the average caucasians still ascribe to the cleansing practices they shared in 2019? Do people still rarely wash their hands and only put soap on half their body and let it run down their bottom half and call it a day? Are people finally more aware of the impact their hygiene has on their community at large? What do you think?