27
votes
Hand-washing with soap and water destroys coronavirus more effectively than hand sanitizer
Link information
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- Title
- Why soap and water is such a brutally effective coronavirus killer
- Published
- Mar 11 2020
- Word count
- 1177 words
I had never considered that viruses were more like animal cells with a lipid layer, I thought they were all protein. I also like how it goes into depth on why you wash for twenty seconds, I knew to do it, and was told the result you want to achieve, but never the how.
The best available advice is to wash hands in warm water and soap (any common bar soap will suffice - it doesn't have to be antibacterial) for a minimum of 20 seconds before touching your face or eating, or if you have reason to suspect your hands are contaminated (after coughing, sneezing, etc.).
Hand-washing is an extremely effective public health measure for controlling transmission of bacterial, viral, and fungal pathogens.
It's not as convenient as the pocket bottle of hand sanitizer, but it's at least as effective, if not more so. Given the general shortage of things labeled "hand sanitizer", a bar of soap is cheap and lasts for days.
If using hand sanitizer, be sure that it's at least 60% ethanol by volume - this may not be listed on the label. Pure ethanol (e.g. Everclear) is actually less effective than 60 - 80% ethanol + water.
Additional CDC guidance on cleaning effectively is here.
The article is about coronavirus, and doesn't mention other pathogens. I think many people are surprised that alcohol hand gels do not work against things like Noro virus (winter vomiting bug).
Here's a good guide to correct handwashing: https://www.hey.nhs.uk/patient-leaflet/hand-hygiene-information/
Alcohol-based gels aren't much use for bacterial spores either; it's a known problem for managing C. diff. in hospitals.
The general CDC and other recommendations for hand sanitizers in hospitals take into account that healthcare workers may have to clean their hands 100+ times per day. The alcohol gels cause a little less skin dryness than soap, and don't require contacting towel dispensers for drying.