In order to reduce the chances of contracting COVID-19, many manufacturers are now in demand for producing several types of hand sanitizers.
According to the latest figures from Johns Hopkins University, the virus is spreading swiftly in many countries with more than 300,000 confirmed cases outside China.
Governments have therefore encouraged hand washing and sanitization to help curb the spread of Coronavirus but using the wrong product might put you at risk.
Unfortunately, some tried to beat the system by producing substandard products and quickly releasing them into the market out of greed.
For any hand sanitizer to be genuine, it should have the following requirements.
Look for the Standardization Mark Permit on the product.
It should consist of an Ethanol content of 60 per cent by volume.
It should have a pH of between 6-8 and a microbial efficacy of 99.9 per cent.
It should contain Sporicides such as hydrogen peroxides that eliminate bacterial spores.
It should sometimes have foaming agents, colourants or fragrances.
Sanitizers and wipes contain antiseptic agents used to cleanse hands when soap and water are not available and they offer protection by preventing or reducing bacteria, viruses and other pathogens that can cause infections.
Alcohol-based hand sanitizer is more convenient compared to handwashing with soap and water in most situations and is more effective at killing microorganisms.
90% of alcohol rubs are highly flammable, but kill many kinds of viruses, including enveloped viruses such as the flu virus, the common cold virus, coronaviruses, and HIV.
The most commonly used active ingredients in hand sanitizer are ethyl alcohol, or ethanol; isopropyl alcohol, which is found in rubbing alcohol; and benzalkonium chloride, which is commonly used in alcohol-free sanitizers.
According to the Food and Drug Administration, about 97% of over-the-counter hand sanitizers use one of these three active ingredients.
Ethyl alcohol is the most common of the three ingredients and is the same ethanol found in beer and wine.
Doctors and health experts have been advising people to apply these sanitizers as a precaution against coronavirus infection.
So far, there are more than 380,000 confirmed cases worldwide with Europe being the epicentre of the crisis and the US facing a surge in cases.
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