FALCONIUM

We’ve all been told that the easiest way to prevent the spread of viruses to wash our hands, but the best way to do so just might be with a good squirt of hand sanitizer.

Researchers from the University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville and Dial Corporation have conducted a study comparing the effectiveness of using ethanol based hand sanitizers and washing with regular soap and water at removing rhinovirus from hands. Rhinovirus is known to cause 30 to 35% of the cases of the common cold in adults, and one of its greatest routes of transmission between humans is through hand to hand contact.

The study found that the ethanol hand sanitizer removed approximately 80% of rhinovirus from hands while soap and water removed about 31% of the rhinovirus from hands. In addition, the researchers then added organic acids to the hand sanitizer to test its effectiveness. Results showed that using this sanitizer inactivated the virus on hands. The sanitizer also prevented further infections of rhinovirus for 2 to 4 hours after it was applied.

So the next time before you eat, take a moment to take out your travel-sized bottle of hand sanitizer and wash away!

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100323223948.htm

– Emily Cai