Q. Do hand sanitizers kill the viruses that cause the flu and colds? My husband says no, they just kill bacteria, not viruses, and hand washing with soap is better. So why all the sanitizers everywhere?
A. This question seems highly appropriate given the mass number of hand sanitizer stations popping up all over the landscape. However, it appears I’m going to have to answer this question in phases. Why? Because I haven’t been able to ascertain a clear-cut answer to whether hand sanitizers kill the viruses that cause the flu and colds.However, Rita Flickinger, director of the Harvey County Health Department, weighed in on the hand-sanitizer vs. hand-washing debate.Flickinger said the “key to hand washings is that most people do not scrub hands long enough.” The chemical tricloson is in hand soaps and kills germs, but Flickinger said only if you scrub for longer than 30 seconds — which is the equivalent of singing “Happy Birthday” through twice. Flickinger said most people don’t wash for that long.“Whether or not using a hand sanitizer instead of regular soap is better could depend on your definition of ‘better,’” she said. “An alcohol-based hand sanitizer does kill more bacteria in a shorter time than most hand soaps.”The sheer volume of dead bacteria isn’t the only factor to consider when comparing hand soap to hand sanitizer, she said, and hand-sanitizer “may not address all reasons for washing hands.”“The bottom line is a good hand soap can be as effective under the right conditions as a hand sanitizer,” she said.Flickinger recommended a sanitizer called Safe4Hours for children. It’s non-alcoholic and binds to the skin to work against bacteria for hours, she said.“It is a non-toxic sanitizer that kills 99.9 percent of germs that make you sick, she said. It also is recommended for food service workers.While a lot of the information is similar, I would like to add in some information received from the Center for Disease Control’s division of media relations in response to the same question.They noted, “Keeping hands clean is one of the most important steps people can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others. It is best to wash your hands with soap and clean running water for at least 20 seconds. However, if soap and clean water are not available, it’s recommended to use an alcohol-based product to clean your hands. Alcohol-based hand rubs can reduce the number of germs on skin and are fast acting,” according to an e-mail.The CDC says many studies have shown beneficial effects of hand sanitizers in reducing gastrointestinal illnesses in households, in curbing absentee rates in elementary schools and in reducing illnesses in university dormitories.The CDC says generally, when looking at alcohol-based hand sanitizers, look for a concentration of 60 percent to 95 percent ethanol or isopropanol. Apparently, some products marketed to the public as antimicrobial hand sanitizers are not effective in reducing bacterial counts on hands.And now I feel as if I need to go wash my hands. Happy germ-fighting everyone!NEWTON —
