You’re probably using hand sanitizer wrong. Here’s the correct way, CDC says
Using hand sanitizer is recommend by health experts to prevent the spread of COVID-19, but you may not be applying it correctly..
A new study published in the peer-reivewed journal, Emerging Infectious Diseases by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, found that using hand sanitizer for at least 30 seconds inactivated the coronavirus.
The study used sanitizer formulations approved by the World Health Organizations, containing either 80% ethanol or 75% isopropyl alcohol. The virus was found to be “efficiently inactivated” within 30 seconds of sanitizer use.
COVID-19 can be spread between humans, even when no symptoms are present, and to prevent the spread of the virus, “effective hand hygiene is crucial,” the CDC wrote in the study.
The CDC recommends alcohol-based hand rub with more than 60% ethanol or 70% isopropanol to reduce “the number of pathogens” after interacting with patients.
To use hand sanitizer properly, the CDC says to apply the gel to one hand and rub both hands together, making sure to rub the gel over hands and fingers until dry.
Sanitizer doesn’t get rid of every type of germ and “may not be as effective when hands are visibly dirty or greasy,” according to the CDC. It also won’t remove “harmful chemical from hands like pesticides and heavy metals.”
Washing your hands with soap and water is still the best way to prevent the spread of germs, the CDC says. To wash hands properly, wet your hands with clean water, lather hands with soap, including in between your fingers, on the backs of hands, and underneath your nails. Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds and then rinse under water.
The coronavirus has infected more than 2 million people in the U.S. and more than 117,000 people have died in the country as of June 17, according to Johns Hopkins University.
This story was originally published June 17, 2020 at 1:11 PM with the headline "You’re probably using hand sanitizer wrong. Here’s the correct way, CDC says."