As the spread of the novel coronavirus continues, health officials have one advisory above all others: you need to wash your hands for at least 20 seconds to make sure they're virus-free. Google's getting in on that action: you can now ask the Assistant for help washing your hands to hear a terrible song about it.

Using songs to time washing your hands isn't a new idea; a common recommendation is to sing Happy Birthday in your head twice over. Google's tune, which is double the CDC's recommended length at 40 seconds, is set to the tune of Row, Row, Row Your Boat. It's a little twee, but it could be a good tool for teaching kids good hygiene, during a pandemic or otherwise. To hear it, say "Hey Google, help me wash my hands."

That is, if it's live for you. In typical Google fashion, the feature seems to be rolling out in waves and isn't available to all users just yet.

Ryne washing his hands. It's fun!

In addition to the song, today's Google Doodle is about Ignaz Semmelweis, the 19th-century doctor credited with discovering the importance of handwashing to health. You can check it out on Google's homepage or in the tweet above.

Source: Twitter