I usually carry a bottle of hand sanitizer to clean my hands before meals. I started doing this even before the pandemic, to avoid getting sick with the common cold.

A good number of people do this in my city: when I go on public transit, I see a fair number of commuters with a hand sanitizer bottle clipped to their bag with a carabiner. Many people also have a bottle in their pockets or purse.

After COVID, yes, that is true. People take it more seriously now (although things seem to be snapping back).

I would go out to lunch with mu coworkers and I would give out everyone wet wipes because I was the only one who had them, specifically for this.

I've never seen it happen either - and I live in Poland, though I haven't seen it in my various visits to China, Germany and the UK either. Who actually does go into the restaurant bathroom specifically to wash their hands before the meal?

I do - it just makes sense if you are riding public transport or touching stuff that isn’t as clean as you’d think. Like your phone, wallet, keys, backpack, shoe laces, pant pockets, etc. Not obsessively, but if I haven’t washed my hands in a few hours or feel they are dirty I wash them before eating.

Spanish here. I do it all the time. I even carry a small bottle of alcohol in case I go to a place where I can't wash my hands first.

I would say most people do wash their hands here, however I have seen everything. From people not washing them to people using the toilet, not washing them, and then sitting on the table for lunch.

I'm Polish and I do - so do some of my friends. Typically right after ordering, before even the beverages have a chance to arrive.

My father would wash hands after petting a dog even, so I guess it's his germophobia that set the standard in my household.

my wife is Polish and makes sure everyone washes they hands before eating. This isn't common in the USA.

I usually go wash my hands once I’ve ordered at a sit down restaurant.

Three simple habits that have (anecdotally) cut down on colds for me:

* wear a mask in crowded environments where showing my face doesn't buy me anything (I don't wear one at work, but do at the grocery store or airport)

* wash hands before eating (or at least use hand sanitizer)

* grip the exit handle of the bathroom with a paper towel and dispose of it on exit

Not exactly double blind demonstrated but low cost and this year has been much better than last (which may also be due to my immune system having caught back up, too, so YMMV)

> When people walk into a restaurant

No, we order first and then do it.

Especially after touching menus - which are almost never washed!