There’s a run on hand sanitiser in South Africa - but experts say it won’t entirely help against coronavirus

Business Insider SA

Hand sanitiser.

Clicks says that since the outbreak of the Covid-19, they have seen an increase in sales of hand sanitiser.
In what mirrors global trends, the demand for hand sanitiser is surging around the globe.
It remains to be seen if the presence of the virus will have an effect on sales, after the first positive test for Covid-19 in South Africa was announced on Thursday.
Experts warn hand sanitiser is not a failsafe to prevent you from catching coronavirus. By following good hygiene practices, it can lower the risk of infection.
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Clicks says that since the outbreak of Covid-19, they have seen an increase in sales of hand sanitiser.

Mirroring global trends, the demand for hand sanitiser is on the rise around the globe as Covid-19 spreads, prompting retailers to ration supplies and online vendors to hike prices, reports CNBC. Cases of people stockpiling hand sanitiser and antiseptics have been reported in parts of the United Sates and the United Kingdom.

But while hand sanitiser might be disappearing off the shelves globally, South Africans hasn't started hoarding just yet. It remains to be seen if the presence of the virus will have an effect on sales, after the first positive test for Covid-19 in South Africa was announced on Thursday.

FIRST CASE OF COVID-19 CORONAVIRUS REPORTED IN SAFellow South AfricansThis morning, Thursday March 5, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases confirmed that a suspected case of COVID-19 has tested positive.#COVID19
— Dr Zweli Mkhize (@DrZweliMkhize) March 5, 2020

Rachel Wrigglesworth, Clicks Chief Commercial Officer, says the national pharmaceutical retailer has a firm grip on its stock take, with stores being continuously replenished with stock on all these products. They’re even running a ‘3 for 2’ special on their Clicks branded hand sanitiser until 23 March 2020.

Coronavirus, Covid-19, WHO, hand sanitiser, sanita

Source Clicks.

Covid-19 has so far affected 96 203 people, causing 3 302 deaths.

Experts warn buying hand sanitiser is not a surefire method of preventing catching the virus.

According to the South African National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD), there are no specific measures currently recommended to prevent Covid-19. Evidence suggests the disease is transmitted through air within proximity to and by touching another person who is infected with it.

By following good hygiene practices, it can lower the risk of infection.

As your first port of call the World Health Organisation, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the NICD recommend washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds – that’s singing happy birthday twice.

Source WHO.

If soap and water are not available, then you should look to using hand sanitiser. And not just any hand sanitiser, you need to be on the lookout for alcohol-based hand sanitiser that contains 60 to 95% alcohol, advises Discovery Health.

Many studies have found that sanitisers with an alcohol concentration between 60–95% are more effective at killing germs than those with a lower alcohol concentration or non-alcohol-based hand sanitisers, said the CDC.

Source WHO.

Alcohol-based hand sanitisers can quickly reduce the number of microbes on hands in some situations, but sanitisers do not eliminate all types of germs. Soap and water are more effective than hand sanitisers at removing certain kinds of germs, like Cryptosporidium, norovirus, and Clostridium difficile 1-5.

When using sanitiser make sure you use a large enough volume and ensure it has dried after.

They’re also not 100% effective at removing dirt and grime, which builds up in a typical working environment. Hands may become very greasy or soiled in community settings, such as after people handle food, play sports, work in the garden, or go camping or fishing.