Community Corner

Texas City Devises Novel Technique Toward Coronavirus Prevention

Seeking to cut through the clutter of government-speak, Round Rock urges hand-washing like one would after slicing peppers for nachos.

"Wash your hands like you just got done slicing jalapeños for a batch of nachos and you need to take your contacts out," officials advise.
"Wash your hands like you just got done slicing jalapeños for a batch of nachos and you need to take your contacts out," officials advise. (Shutterstock)

ROUND ROCK, TX — The specter of new coronavirus can be a fearsome abstraction, and ways to prevent it conceptual at best. The City of Round Rock, Texas, has cut through the clutter with a public service message sure that's resonated with the public while dispensing important advice in an accessible manner.

"Texas Coronavirus Prevention" is the headline of an electronic flyer produced by the city's digital communications coordinator. "Wash your hands like you just got done slicing jalapeños for a batch of nachos and you need to take your contacts out."

The tagline: "That's like 20 seconds of scrubbing, y'all"

Find out what's happening in Round Rockwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

That message is the brainchild of Austin Ellington, who's produced a number of memorably creative informational, and award-winning, campaigns for the city. A native of Louisiana but with deep roots in the Texas city after which he was named, Ellington said he got his inspiration from a Baton Rouge, Louisiana, police department that produced a similar meme but based on the handling of crawfish.

(Image courtesy of the city of Round Rock)

Find out what's happening in Round Rockwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Louisiana police gave Ellington their blessings for his own twist on the message, given the camaraderie that exists among municipal communicators in conveying important information, he told Patch in a telephone interview. With that endorsement, Ellington said, the jalapeños-for-nachos version was a natural given that it's culinary staple in the Lone Star State.

The new coronavirus — now being called COVID-19 by health officials — is caused by a member of the coronavirus family that’s a close cousin to the SARS and MERS viruses that have caused outbreaks in the past.


Don't miss the latest coronavirus updates from health and government officials in the Austin area. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters for what you need to know daily.


Since its launch Wednesday, the meme has been circulated some 3 million times — giving people a chuckle amid their COVID-19 fears while assimilating a key bit of health advice in a way that's succinct and relatable. With a measure of palpable pride, Ellington shared the social media analytics of his effort:

Side note: Anyone who's ever touched their eyes after handling peppers or hot sauce is painfully aware of the trauma of having their eyeballs feel as if they've burst into flames. Such memories haunt one for years afterward, providing ample incentive to follow the thorough hand-washing process to avoid of COVID-19.

Ellington and city spokesperson Will Hampton both told Patch of the delicate equilibrium involved in the humorous messaging, given the serious nature of COVID-19. The intent was not to make light of the scourge but to convey an important message in an accessible manner. "We're cerrtainly not making light, but seek to prevent it," Hampton said of the virus that has stoked fears worldwide. "You want it to reach as many people as possible."

And residents largely have gotten the point, based on an abundantly positive response on the city's Facebook page. Hampton conceded the presence of a few angry-face icons from some, although it was not clear whether they were aimed at the virus itself or the municipal advice.

The positive reaction is likely due to its relatable nature. Patch chatted with Ellington about other similar efforts to communicate the need for thorough hand-washing amid the new coronavirus threat. There's the tip of singing the "Happy Birthday" song twice during hand-cleaning. But who wants to be stared at in a public restroom singing the song out of context?

Then there's the guidance of singing the "Deep in the Heart of Texas" song during the hygienic practice. But the clapping that serves as the chorus to that beloved ditty could prove problematic in interrupting the process. "There'd be bubbles everywhere!" Ellington said.

So jalapeños and nachos it is.

Ellington seems well-suited to his role handling the city's social media content given deep Texas roots at a job he's held for the past five years a little over 20 miles north of Austin. While not a native Texan, his dad — formerly a harmonica player in a musical band during his youth — named him after the Texas capital after having played a gig here and, presumably, fallen in love with the city. Ellington's family moved to the Austin area from Houston, and he ended up graduating from Leander High School before attending St. Edward's University.


Related story: Round Rock Officials Help Reunite Girl With Her Lost Teddy Bear


Those Texas ties have yielded a keen grasp of the Texas culture, he agreed. Having witnessed the storied hospitality of Texans, he previously came up with another engrossing social media campaign tied to "Music on the Main," a concert series staged each year in the central business district in Round Rock. Someone reported finding a lost teddy bear among the crowd, and Ellington ran with it — producing an enthralling series of updates as city officials sought the toy's owner. In the end, the little girl who lost her bear was reunited with her stuffed animal, delivered to her with a measure of pageantry by police officers.

That 2016 campaign won awards, including recognition from Facebook as being its favorite government post. The memorable campaign also kept residents engaged throughout its run — a positive contagion the city hopes to replicate with the COVID-19 message.

Beyond his familiarity with the Texas ways, Ellington said he's informed in his creations by the very nature of his job. By some form of osmosis, he suggested an assimilation into the more relaxed vibe of messaging of social media has spilled into his missives that form the basis of his work.

"I was trying to find a way on social media to break through the noise," he told Patch. His approach has worked well in Round Rock, but he conceded never having envisioned his current job after college years spent as a political science major at St. Edward's. "I never expected to be talking about jalapeños and hand-washing for a local government," the 32-year-old social media whiz said with a chuckle.

Health officials have sought to assuage COVID-19 concerns by reiterating that the risk of contracting it remains low, in spite of scary headlines. In times like these, one mustn't be paralyzed by fear but try to go about normal routines, officials have suggested, but with common-sense safeguards.

So be sure to scrub those hands thoroughly with visions of jalapeños-suffused nachos dancing in your heads, y'all. Yee-haw!


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Round Rock