COVID-19 Live Confirmed Cases & Death on Map
Source: CNA
Using Hand Sanitizers To Prevent COVID-19
The highly contagious COVID-19 has infected 80,824 individuals in mainland China, followed by 17,660 people in the Italy, 12,729 in Iran, and 8,089 in South Korea till the time of writing this article. The COVID-19 is caused by a virus belonging to the Coronavirus family- SARS-CoV-2, which stands for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Many scientists strongly believe that the virus has animal origins, and it has jumped the species barrier and infected humans.
But what is worse, is the fact that human-to-human transmission of the virus is a reality. And that’s how COVID-19 is spreading now. The transmission is similar to other forms of flu, however, it is way more contagious. When a person suffering from COVID-19 sneezes or coughs, he releases minute saliva drops that carry the virus. These droplets stay in the air and can be inhaled by other people. Or they may land on objects like doorknobs, restroom taps, currency notes, etc. which are frequently touched by people. You might place your hand on them, and later touch your eyes or mouth from where the virus enters your body.
But, with good hygiene practices, it is possible to avoid the risk of getting infected with COVID-19 or spreading it to those around you, in case you are already infected. Hand Sanitizers are a great way to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other viral diseases. Hand sanitizers are an easy substitute for hand-washing, especially for people on the go. It is a bit difficult to wash your hands frequently while you are in your office, or if you are traveling. Carrying a hand sanitizer is a great idea, but let’s discuss first what kind of hand sanitizer you must use to ward away the Wuhan Virus.
What Kind Of Sanitizer To Use For Fighting The Wuhan Virus?
In the case of a bacterium, sanitizers disrupting their cell membrane and kill them. For viruses, sanitizers eliminate them by disrupting the outer coat. A hand sanitizer with an alcohol content lower than 60 percent might be effective in killing bacteria or other germs but is more often than not ineffective on viruses. And the causal organism of COVID-19 is a virus. According to experts, your hand sanitizer should have an alcohol content of more than 60 percent to kill viruses.
In fact, the best results are given by sanitizers with 70 percent alcohol content (not 100!). This is because the presence of some amount of water increases the penetration capacity of the sanitizer. And it is important to note that sanitizers do not harm the human cells. This makes using sanitizers one of the best ways to defend yourself against the Wuhan virus.
In certain occupations, there is a lot of human contact as well. Especially for a medical practitioner, there are high chances of acting as an intermediary and transferring germs from one patient to the next. Hand washing between two patients is often inconvenient. With hand sanitizers entering the picture, hand hygiene has improved significantly, as it is highly effective, and it is faster than regular hand washing.
If you are in a profession where you need to maintain good hygiene, make hand sanitizer an essential part of your work kit. For instance, if you handle food items, keeping your hands free of pathogens is very important. This will prevent an inadvertent spread of germs by you.
If you are a caregiver, you must use a sanitizer to prevent spreading germs that you might have picked up while taking care of someone sick. In fact, hand sanitizers are a great way to improve hand hygiene for regular folks. With good hand hygiene, you can prevent COVID-19 and a host of other diseases too!
You need to apply a hand-sanitizer in a correct manner to effectively kill. Using an inadequate amount or accidentally wiping it off before it has dried can reduce its effectiveness. Read the label carefully to know the proper amount and manner of using it.
How To Use Hand Sanitizer correctly?
