Since the outbreak of COVID-19, many of us are actively participating in ways of preventing the spread of this disease from avoiding further restrictions and protecting the vulnerable members of our communities. These habits must become part of our new normal for day to day life in order to help reduce the infection number for our public.
First and foremost, hand washing is recommended to clean your hands and kill the harmful bacteria thoroughly. In places where hand washing facilities aren’t accessible, using a hand sanitizer will also kill the virus if it’s on the surface of your skin. Washing your hands before you leave your home and as soon as you return, will help to stop the spread of disease coming into your home, in combination with frequent use of hand sanitizer while you’re away from your home.
There are some ‘hot spot’ zones that, if you come into contact with, you should immediately wash your hands due to the increased risk of these surfaces holding the virus. These ‘hot spots’ include ATM’s, fuel pumps, animals or pets, handrails, after using the toilet and after touching any door handles.
Alcohol gel
To be most effective, hand sanitizer should have an alcohol content of at least 60% to thoroughly kill the harmful bacteria. Alcohol gel will provide the most complete coverage for the skin as the advised dosage can be applied correctly and then spread across the rest of the hands through rubbing the hand gel in. The gel can be spread evenly and quickly before air drying, and then you can continue with your day to day business.
In high-risk areas such as clinical settings or food services, alcohol gels are advised due to the higher dosage providing higher protection and an increased chance of killing all harmful bacteria.
To use alcohol gel properly, pump the advised dosage into your hand then spread over all surfaces of your hands, including your wrists, fingertips, backs of hands and between your fingers before letting the gel dry completely.
Disinfectant spray
The disinfectant spray is very much the same product but in a spray form, which can lead to the dose hitting over surfaces other than your hands and therefore needing more of the product to have the same desired effects as alcohol gel. There are a range of disinfecting sprays available from numerous brands, so do some research into the best ones available before buying.
However, a disinfectant spray is easier to apply for young children to ensure their hands and thoroughly cleaned when handwashing facilities aren’t accessible. The alcohol content of disinfectant sprays should be between 60% – 80% to kill the bacteria effectively.
To apply the disinfectant spray, spray the advised dose into your hands or onto the surface you want to touch, do not purposefully dry, or smear the product. Instead, let it air dry completely.
When choosing between the two types of disinfectants, there are different advantages, and therefore it must be left to individuals to make informed choices of which will work better for them.
