Do All Sanitizers Work Against the Novel Coronavirus?

It’s become such a sought-after product that pharmacies and supermarkets have started limiting the amount that folks can purchase at just one occasion . New York state has even announced it'll start producing its own hand sanitiser to satisfy demand.

As with other viral respiratory infections – just like the cold and flu – the novel coronavirus (called SARS-CoV-2) is especially spread when virus-laden droplets from a person’s mouth or nose are transferred to other people. However, a recent study has suggested that it also canspread through faeces.

We touch our faces tonswithout even realising it. A study from New South Wales found that folks touch their faces about 23 times an hour

Washing with warm water (not cold water) and soap removes oils from our hands which will harbour microbes.

But hand sanitisers also can protect against disease-causing microbes, especially in situations when soap and water aren’t available. They’re also proven to be effective in reducing the amount and sort of microbes.

There are two main sorts of hand sanitisers: alcohol-based and alcohol-free. Alcohol-based hand sanitisers contain varying amounts and kinds of alcohol, often between 60% and 95% and typically isopropanol , ethanol (ethyl alcohol) or n-propanol. Alcohol is known to be able to kill most germs.

Alcohol-free hand sanitisers contain something called quarternary ammonium compounds (usually benzalkonium chloride) rather than alcohol.

Not only are alcohol-based hand sanitisers found to be effective at killing many types of bacteria, including MRSA and E coli, they’re also effective against many viruses, including the influenza A virus, rhinovirus, hepatitis Avirus, HIV, and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS- CoV).

Destroying viruses

This protein is vital for a virus’s survival and multiplication. But a hand sanitiser must be a minimum of 60% alcohol so as to kill most viruses.

Hand sanitisers with but 60% alcohol were also found to be less effective at killing bacteria and fungi and should only reduce the expansion of germs instead of killing them outright.

And even hand sanitisers containing 60% alcohol can’t remove all kinds of germs. Studies have found that hand washing is simpler than hand sanitisers at removing norovirus, Cryptosporidium (a parasite which will cause diarrhoea), and Clostridium difficile (bacteria which cause bowel problems and diarrhoea).

With shortages leading some people to try and make their own hand sanitisers, it’s also important toKnow these might not be as effective as commercially available products.