Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Kate Middleton arrive in Pakistan. File

Gulf Today Report

Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton opted to remove her engagement ring while she self-quarantines amid coronavirus pandemic for hygiene purpose.

On Sunday, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge shared photos of themselves working from home 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 researchers, 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, 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.