Heads Up: Your Hand Sanitizer Won’t Actually Kill This Virus
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Hand sanitizer doesn’t work against all pathogens.
The product isn’t as effective as proper hand washing.
There are other ways to lower the risk of getting sick this season.
Hand sanitizer has been seen as a valuable tool in hygiene and illness protection for years. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people ramped up their use of hand sanitizer, with research finding that kids used it up to 25 times a day and adults more than nine times a day.
But despite the health halo surrounding hand sanitizer, infectious disease doctors say it’s not the best tool you can use to keep your hands clean. In fact, hand sanitizer won’t work against some major illness-causing viruses, parasites, and bacteria.
Meet the experts: Thomas Russo, M.D., professor and chief of infectious disease at the University at Buffalo in New York, William Schaffner, M.D., an infectious disease specialist and professor at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, infectious disease expert Amesh A. Adalja, M.D., senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.
Here’s what you need to know about common viruses and bacteria hand sanitizer is ineffective against, plus what to do to protect yourself instead.
Common germs hand sanitizer won’t kill
In general, doctors agree that hand sanitizers are a helpful tool to keep you safe from illness. “Hand sanitizers contain chemicals that inactivate many viruses and are extremely convenient to use,” says infectious disease expert Amesh A. Adalja, M.D., senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. “They work well at inactivating influenza and SARS-CoV-2 [the virus that causes COVID-19].”
That said, they’re not perfect. “Hand sanitizers should not be used when your hands are grossly soiled,” says Thomas Russo, M.D., professor and chief of infectious disease at the University at Buffalo in New York. Meaning, if your hands are covered in dirt and mud, it’s best to hit the sink.
Hand sanitizers are also not effective against certain germs. “Hand sanitizers contain alcohol, and alcohol is a chemical that will disrupt the surfaces and outer envelope of many viruses, therefore killing the virus,” says William Schaffner, M.D., an infectious disease specialist and professor at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. “But they work less well against certain bacteria and other pathogens.”
These are the major germs that hand sanitizer won’t kill:
Norovirus
Norovirus is a very contagious virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea—and sometimes both at the same time, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are not considered to work well against norovirus, which is a very hardy virus due to its structural features,” Dr. Adalja says. However, these steps can help lower your risk of getting norovirus, per the CDC:
Wash your hands well (and often)
Cook shellfish thoroughly
Wash fruits and vegetables well
Clean and disinfect contaminated surfaces
Cryptosporidium
Cryptosporidium is a parasite that causes a condition called cryptosporidiosis. This leads to watery diarrhea, per the CDC. Cryptosporidium can live in water, food, soil, or on infected surfaces but, unfortunately, alcohol-based hand sanitizers aren’t effective against these parasites, Dr. Russo says.
The best way to lower the risk of cryptosporidium is to wash your hands well with soap and water, according to the CDC.
Clostridium difficile
Clostridium difficile is a bacterium that can cause symptoms like diarrhea and intestinal inflammation, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. This is the most common cause of infectious diarrhea in hospitals and long-term care facilities. While anyone can get clostridium difficile, risk factors include being 65 or older, having a weakened immune system, and recently staying at a hospital or nursing care facility.
Clostridium difficile will not be killed by hand sanitizer, but washing your hands well with soap and water after using the bathroom and before you eat is helpful for lowering your risk, per the CDC.
Soap and water is still best
If you have soap and water available, this is your best bet for hand hygiene, Dr. Schaffner says. “You have to wash your hands correctly, though,” Dr. Russo says.
This is the right way to wash your hands, per the CDC:
Wet your hands with clean, running water.
Apply soap.
Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap, targeting the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds.
Rinse your hands well under clean running water.
Dry your hands using a clean towel.
How to use hand sanitizer properly
If you’re on the go or nowhere near soap and water, doctors say that hand sanitizer is a helpful option. It’s important to use products that contain 60% alcohol, Dr. Russo says.
To use hand sanitizer properly, the CDC recommends applying it to the palm of one hand and rubbing the liquid over the surfaces of your hands until they’re dry.
How else to protect yourself from viruses this winter
Respiratory viruses are the biggest reasons people get sick in winter, Dr. Russo says. “You can get infected through fomites [infected surfaces]. Hand hygiene is important, but the biggest mode of transmission in respiratory viruses is droplets,” he says. “At the end of the day, hand hygiene will not protect you if someone is infectious and droplets are in the air.”
Instead, Dr. Schaffner recommends getting vaccinated against the major respiratory viruses that can be circulating this season—the flu, COVID-19, and RSV (if you’re an older adult). “We’re not taking advantage of these vaccines to the extent that we should,” he says.
Wearing a mask in crowded indoor spaces can also help protect against respiratory viruses, Dr. Russo says. “If you’re between wearing hand sanitizer, washing your hands, and wearing a mask, the mask wins,” he says.
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