Shops and online retailers across the UK are seeing a rush on orders of hand sanitizer as people try to find ways to keep coronavirus at bay.
The NHS, Public Health England and the Government have advised washing your hands regularly and keeping them clean is the best way to help avoid contracting Covid-19.
The virus can survive for some time on surfaces so it is possible to pick it up from rails, desks or phones and then transfer it to your mouth or nose when you touch your face.
Keeping your hands clean helps avoid this.
If you can’t find sanitizer in the shops or online, you can make your own.
Speaking to Business Insider, Professor Miryam Wahrman, a germ expert at William Paterson University, said all you need is a solution containing 60% alcohol – whether it’s rubbing alcohol or the drinkable variety.
She said: “The bottom line is that alcohol is the active ingredient. If you drop below 60%, the effectiveness drops dramatically.”
To make sure the solution isn’t too harsh on your skin, Professor Wahrman advises adding a few drops of aloe vera, or moisturizing straight after using it.
According to Good Housekeeping, you can make the hand cleaning fluid with vodka.
They recommend using plain vodka (as cheap as you like). Mix one-third vodka with two-thirds aloe vera gel in a small bottle with a pump-spray nozzle, add 15 drops of essential oil such as tea tree or lavender and shake well.
But Dr. Babak Ashrafi, a doctor with Zava, said washing with soap and water is the best method if possible. Speaking to Mirror Online, he said: “The primary advice is using soap and water to wash your hands – that’s the best way to get rid of bacteria.
“Hand sanitizer isn’t as good, but is better than nothing, especially if you’ve been out in public.”
Dr. Ashrafi added that using too much hand sanitizer is never a good idea.
He said: “Some people can get severe drying, which can lead to cracking. Cracks could potentially increase your risk of coronavirus. If you have access to soap and water that’s much better.”
Source: OccupyGh.com
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