Kate Middleton has opted to remove her engagement ring while she self-quarantines at home for reasons believed to be related to cleanliness.
On Sunday, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge shared photos of themselves working from home amid the coronavirus pandemic to the Kensington Royal Instagram account.
“Self-isolation and social distancing can pose huge challenges to our mental health — in recent weeks The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been in regular contact with organisations and patronages to understand the issues they are facing during this difficult time,” the caption reads.
In the second photo, the Duchess of Cambridge can be seen talking on the phone to Catherine Roche, CEO of Place2Be, while dressed in a coral pink Marks & Spencer suit. But rather than wearing her diamond and sapphire engagement ring, the mother-of-three was instead wearing only her Welsh gold wedding band.
According to People, the decision likely had to do with increasing the effectiveness of hand-washing, an essential safety precaution for limiting the spread of coronavirus.
Previous studies have shown that germs can live under rings, making it possible to miss them when washing one's hands.
In one study, referenced by People, researchers found that rings provide a “protected area in which bacteria can flourish” and that those who didn’t wear rings were more able to kill bacteria when washing their hands.
Experts have also encouraged people to avoid wearing rings amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“In a situation where we are in extraordinary measures to limit Covid-19 transmission, I think removal of rings/jewellery when washing hands — or perhaps limiting their wear altogether right now — represents a wise move forward," Rochelle Walensky, chief of the division of infectious diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital, toldUSA Today.
The duchess is not the only notable figure to remove jewellery while practising safety measures in an effort to curb the spread of the virus.
Last week, This Morning host Holly Willoughby revealed that she has not been wearing her wedding or engagement ring because she’s been washing her hands so frequently and keeps forgetting to put them back on.
"I'm permanently taking my rings off," she said. "I keep forgetting to put them back on because I'm always washing my hands, so I've just given up now!"
