Which one is more effective in killing COVID19: Soap or hand sanitizer?

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the call to always wash hands with soap is always echoed in everyday life as often as possible. Is it really effective?

When you are rubbing the surface of your hand, you also kill a number of other bad bacteria and potentially deadly viruses that have been bothering humans for centuries, including influenza and a number of Corona Viruses.

Sanitizer does not remove actual impurities. But soap can kill germs, bind it, and help eliminate it physically with water from your skin and through the drain.

Soap and running water are said to be more effective than hand sanitizers like hand sanitizers. The reason is hand sanitizer will not clean effectively after exercise or when oily and dirty hands.

So using soap is considered far more effective than hand sanitizer because it contains surfactant, a substance that removes oil and microbes from the skin. The CDC also recommends wet hands with running water and rubs hands with soap for at least 20 seconds.

How does soap kill COVID-19?

The main components of soap are surfactants such as sodium lauryl sulphate, sodium dodecyl sulphate, sodium palmate, etc. Soaps that come in contact with the Covid-19 virus will immediately work to form a chemical bond between the hydrophobic part of the soap and the part of fat that is on the walls of the virus. Because, one part of the Covid-19 virus wall is a layer of fat bilayer. The surfactant component of the soap binds to the protein and lipid components of the virus so that it breaks the sequence of virus particles, breaks down the protein and all the components of the virus break. Thus, the virus becomes damaged and cannot infect humans.

How about a hand sanitizer?

The experts revealed the procedure for washing hands with soap and running water for 20 seconds is the best and efficient way of killing viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens on the surface of the palm of the hand. However, if conditions are not possible, substitution with alcohol-based hand sanitizers can also be used.

If your only choice is hand sanitizer, make sure that the hand sanitizer is a good hand sanitizer. That means you have to check the ingredients. When water and soap are not immediately available, hand sanitizers with up to 60 percent alcohol are good alternatives.

If someone's hands are clearly visible or contaminated, soap and water are better used to clean them. Physically, hand sanitizers are not able to wash dirt from hands. For that, you still have to rely on soap and water.

Always consult your dental and oral health problems with the best dentists and dental clinics in Bali.

BIA Dental Center

Jl. Sunset Road No.86A, Seminyak, Badung, Bali Indonesia 80361.

+6282139396161

Source:

1. https://www.liputan6.com/global/read/4210976/malas-cuci-tangan-ini-bukti-sabun-sanitizer-dan-air-hangat-mampu-bunuh-corona-covid-19

2. https://www.kompas.com/tren/read/2020/03/25/090000265/bagaimana-sabun-hand-sanitizer-dan-air-hangat-mampu-melawan-covid-19?page=all#page2

3. https://kawalcovid19.id/content/337/cara-gampang-membunuh-virus

4. https://www.dream.co.id/fresh/apakah-sabun-lebih-efektif-dalam-membunuh-virus-covid-19-2003316.html

5. https://www.liputan6.com/global/read/4219374/corona-covid-19-hand-sanitizer-masih-tak-seefektif-cuci-tangan-dengan-sabun

6. https://www.cnnindonesia.com/teknologi/20200409155344-199-492164/ahli-jelaskan-beda-sabun-dan-hand-sanitizer-bunuh-corona