Rubbing Hands With Sanitiser For 30 Sec Needed To Kill Coronavirus, Says Study
This is according to a study published in Emerging Infectious Diseases by US CDC.
Today we have three weapons that save us from COVID-19 -- washing hands with soap, face masks and sanitisers. Life feels incomplete without these, as we slowly emerge out of lockdown.
Hand sanitisers specifically relieve our anxieties with a few drop of being able to destroy any kinds of germs on our hands and help us stay COVID-19 free. However, just the sanitizer isn¡¯t enough for it to be effective you need to apply the sanitiser appropriately as well.
We know that we must wash our hands with soap for 20 seconds with proper hand actions to kill COVID-19, and now a study reveals that with a hand sanitiser, we must rub our hands for 30 seconds to be most effective.
This is according to a study published in Emerging Infectious Diseases by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The study looked at sanitisers and its effectiveness against the novel coronavirus, specifically with the way it is used.
Hand sanitizer against COVID-19
The study tested two sanitiser formulas -- one with 80 percent ethanol and one with 75 percent isopropyl alcohol. The virus was obliterated effectively when used either of the aforementioned solutions.
However, researchers do point out the ways in which it works to be the most effective. The study reveals that for a hand sanitiser to be the most effective against COVID-19, one needs to rub the hands appropriately for 30 seconds to truly inactivate the virus. This is not just for COVID-19 but against all kinds of germs that our hands come in contact with.
Ms Kratzel is a PhD candidate affiliated with the Institute of Virology and Immunology, Bern and Mittelh?usern, Switzerland, said in the study, ¡°We found that SARS-CoV-2 was efficiently inactivated by WHO-recommended formulations, supporting their use in healthcare systems and viral outbreaks. Of note, both the original and modified formulations were able to reduce viral triggers to background level within 30 seconds.¡±
She added, ¡°One caveat of this study is the defined inactivation time of exactly 30 seconds, which is the time recommended but not routinely performed in practice. Our findings are crucial to minimize viral transmission and maximize virus inactivation in the current SARS-CoV-2 outbreak.
How long do you rub your hands after applying the sanitiser? Tell us in the comments below.