If you’ve been to a pharmacy recently, you may have noticed empty shelves of hand sanitizers.
With the outbreak of COVID-19, it is not surprising that most of the people are taking the necessary steps to be safe, and the use of hand sanitizers is one of these steps. The point to consider is whether the hand sanitizers provide the best protection against the viruses and bacteria such as coronavirus or not. It is useful in the hospital as it prevents bacteria and viruses from being passed from one patient to another by hospital staff. Outside the hospital, most of the people get respiratory infections from direct contact with people who already have them, and hand sanitizers will do nothing under these conditions. However, according to the CDC, for the hand sanitizer to be effective, it must be used correctly. This means using the right amount and rubbing it on the surface of both hands to dry. Do not wash or wipe the hands after application.
Significance of Antibacterial Hand Sanitizers
Hand sanitizers are an excellent way to wash your hands when soap and water are not available. Hand sanitizer has isopropyl alcohol, or ethyl alcohol, or even both to kill viruses and bacteria on your hands. Alcohol is known to kill germs by deforming the external protective microbes proteins and dissolving the membranes. The quick covering of an ethanol-based hand sanitizer on your hands will not kill the viruses. Hand sanitizers with an alcohol concentration below 60% are less effective in killing lives than those with a lower alcohol concentration or non-alcoholic antiseptics. These hand sanitizers can reduce the growth of germs instead of killing them directly.
Studies have shown that antiseptics with lower concentrations or non-alcoholic disinfectants are not as effective at killing germs as those containing 60 to 95 percent alcohol. In particular, antiseptics that do not contain alcohol may not work as well on different types of viruses and may cause some germs to develop resistance to disinfectants. There is no evidence that hand sanitizers and other antibacterial products are harmful. Theoretically, this can lead to resistance to viruses and is the most widely used argument against the use of hand sanitizers. Remember that all hand sanitizers are not the same. It is essential to make sure that you use the Best antibacterial hand Sanitizer.
However, although no studies are showing that hand sanitizers are a threat, there is also no evidence that they do any good to protect you from harmful bacteria as compared to soap.
If you don’t have access to water and soap, hand sanitizer is an excellent temporary alternative. Be sure to use an antibacterial one and the one that contains a minimum of 60% alcohol. While dirty hands may not feel cool, an alcohol-rich hand sanitizer can effectively kill bacteria and viruses. Alcohol-free antiseptics may not work as well, and the chemicals may irritate them more than their alcohol-containing counterparts.
