What was claimed
Hand sanitiser is effective against Covid-19.
Our verdict
Hand sanitisers with 60% alcohol content and above are effective against viruses, such as the new coronavirus, but soap and water is the best option.
Hand sanitiser is effective against Covid-19.
Hand sanitisers with 60% alcohol content and above are effective against viruses, such as the new coronavirus, but soap and water is the best option.
We were asked by one of our readers how effective hand sanitiser is against the new coronavirus.
Which hand sanitisers work on Covid-19?
The NHS says you should wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds to avoid catching or spreading the virus, but that you should use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water aren’t available. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Public Health England, specify that hand sanitisers with at least 60% alcohol content are the next best option after soap and water. Sanitisers with lower alcohol content are less effective and according to the CDC, may only slow germ growth, rather than killing it outright.
We’ve seen some people claim that hand sanitisers are not effective against the new coronavirus as they are antibacterial and the new coronavirus is, well, a virus.
Hand sanitisers do work against viruses. They are effective as the virus that causes Covid-19 has a lipid envelope, which has been proven to be susceptible to sanitisers with a high percentage of alcohol. Hand sanitisers with 60% alcohol are also effective against a broad range of bacteria too.
You can see all the questions we’ve answered so far and we’ll keep adding to it as we get through them. You can also read all of our content on the new coronavirus.
You’ve probably seen a surge in misleading and unsubstantiated medical advice since the Covid-19 outbreak. If followed, it can put lives at serious risk. We need your help to protect us all from false and harmful information.
We’ve seen people claiming to be health professionals, family members, and even the government – offering dangerous tips like drinking warm water or gargling to prevent infection. Neither of these will work.
The longer claims like these go unchecked, the more they are repeated and believed. It can put people’s health at serious risk, when our services are already under pressure.
Today, you have the opportunity to help save lives. Good information about Covid-19 could be the difference between someone taking the right precautions to protect themselves and their families, or not. Could you help protect us all from false and harmful information today?
Bad information ruins lives. It promotes hate, damages people’s health, and hurts democracy. You deserve better.