Important to make informed choices when buying hand sanitizers

If there is one product that Covid -19 has really popularized, that is the now ubiquitous hand sanitiser. Be it elevators or grocery shops, entrances of housing colonies or police stations, sanitisers have now earned the pride of place.

Yes, Covid 19 has done what no amount of advertisements could have achieved- it has made the sanitiser a product known across all sections, including the poorest of poor. The virus has also brought about considerable competition in the retail sanitiser market, where earlier just three or four FMCG brands ruled the roost. Today, many pharmaceutical companies that supplied to the health sector, have stared catering to the retail consumer too, thereby ensuring regular supply at government mandated prices.

In the coming days, consumers can expect an even wider choice, with a number of manufacturers entering the expanding sanitiser market. Increased choice also makes it imperative that consumers know more about this product, so as to make an informed purchase.

If you look at the label information on sanitisers in the market, you will notice that they basically fall into two categories — those with alcohol as the active ingredient and those which are non-alcohol based. Since experts advocate the use of only alcohol-based sanitisers for protection against Covid-19, let’s look at only those. Here again, you will notice that the main ingredient could be ethyl alcohol ( ethanol) or isopropyl alcohol ( isopropanol.)

Both are equally effective, say pharmacologists and virologists. Some studies have indicated that ethanol has a stronger and broader virucidal activity compared to isoproponal in respect of some non-enveloped viruses. However, a more recent study comparing the virucidal activity of two World Health Organization recommended formulations — one based on ethanol and the other based on isopropanol — found the latter to have a higher virucidal activity against enveloped viruses. Covid-19 is an ‘enveloped virus’.

The two formulations were tested against Zika virus , Ebola virus , severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV)

The study, titled “Virucidal Activity of World Health Organization–Recommended Formulations Against Enveloped Viruses, Including Zika, Ebola, and Emerging Coronaviruses” and published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases in 2017, analyzed the virucidal efficacies of both alcohols, particularly against emerging and re-emerging viruses that caused severe epidemics. It concluded that both the WHO formulations were effective against enveloped viruses, demonstrating that both can be used in outbreaks associated with viral infections.

Viruses, which come in many shapes and sizes, are enclosed in a protein coat called Capsid. In some viruses the Capsid is surrounded by an envelope composed of a lipid bylayer- the latter are called enveloped viruses. Alcohol destroys them by denaturing their proteins and dissolving the lipids .

According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, USA, alcohol concentration of 60-95 per cent are more effective than those with lower alcohol concentration or non-alcohol based hand sanitizers. It therefore recommends a minimum of 60 per cent alcohol The WHO formulation for use in health care suggests 80 per cent ethyl alcohol or 75 per cent iosopropyl alcohol . There are studies showing that enveloped viruses are extremely vulnerable to 70 per cent alcohol. So look for those with 70 per cent alcohol.

Sanitisers come in liquid, gel and foam formats and you could choose any of them , based on your personal preference because a study published in the Journal of Hospital Infection in September 2017 says that there was no difference in the anti-bacterial efficacy of sanitisers in all the three formats. Alcohols are bactericidal, fungicidal and virucidal. However, they are not effective against bacterial spores and protozoan oocysts

Lastly, it is also important to check whether the bottle of sanitizer has a proper closure to prevent leakage and also evaporation, so that the initial concentration is preserved.