Though regular hand hygiene is a recommended practice in our everyday routine, it has gained utmost importance during the COVID-19 outbreak. With the cases spreading rapidly, people are on the lookout for several measures that they can take to protect themselves and others from the virus. One of the most recommended and effective practices suggested by healthcare experts and organizations is hand hygiene. According to medical experts, thoroughly washing hands with soap and water for about 30 seconds is an effective way of keeping the virus at bay and preventing transmission.

However, there are certain situations where washing hands with soap and water may not be viable, especially when you are on the go, or when you don’t have access to soap or water in public spaces. In these situations, the best alternative would be a pocket hand sanitizer. Thanks to the hysteria and paranoia caused by the pandemic, the panic-buying behavior among people has increased. Due to this, there was a rapid rise in the sales of personal hygiene products such as hand sanitizer spray, surface disinfectant spray, and multi-surface wipes.

Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are effective in eliminating germs and keeping your hands safe. Medical experts have confirmed that hand sanitizer formulations inactivate the COVID-19 disease, as said by the World Health Organization (WHO). According to WHO, the ideal liquid hand sanitizer to keep you safe from the virus are the ones that have more than 60% alcohol content.

As per research, coronavirus is an enveloped virus. This means that there is an outer layer that covers the actual virus. The outer layer acts as protection against the virus. An instant hand sanitizer will act on the virus by disrupting the outer layer, also known as the envelope, thus inactivating the virus. This will render the virus non-infectious.

With Omicron being the latest variant of the coronavirus, not much is known about this variant. Research and further studies about this variant are still underway to determine the severity and transmissibility. However, it is important to follow preventive measures such as social distancing, wearing a mask, and regular sanitization to ensure safety.