Disinfectants are said to kill viruses and bacteria and thus protect against diseases. However, there are special recommendations with regard to the corona virus.
Anyone who wants to stock up on disinfectants will currently either be standing in front of empty shelves or faced with overpriced prices. For example, a Merkur reader reports that the prices for hand disinfectants are massively inflated. Horrible prices are circulating not only in retail, but also on online marketplaces such as Amazon or Ebay . But how sensible is the use of disinfectants with regard to the spread of coronavirus infections?
Preventing Coronavirus Infection: Does Hand Disinfection Really Make Sense?
As a rule, thorough hand washing * is sufficient in everyday life to render pathogenic viruses - be they corona or influenza viruses - harmless. However, hand disinfection could also make sense for people who are susceptible to infection , as the specialist portal PTA reported today. Risk groups are also recommended to take protective measures. Particularly vulnerable groups include:
- People with cardiovascular diseases and high blood pressure *
- diabetic
- People with respiratory diseases like asthma
- Cancer Patients
Good hand hygiene is not only one of the most important protective measures * that protect against a coronavirus infection. You should also keep at least a meter away from sick people and avoid visiting risk areas .
More on the subject : Does a face mask protect against a coronavirus infection? Who should wear it .
Disinfectant suitable for people with pre-existing conditions and medical staff
The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) as the federal authority for infectious diseases and non-communicable diseases also sees reports of the Bavarian Broadcasting Corporation (BR) that healthy people do not need to use disinfectants in everyday life . The BR quotes Lars Schaade, Vice President of the RKI, who believes that large-scale disinfection only makes sense when dealing with patients and in hospitals. Otherwise, the likelihood "that you will encounter the virus somewhere and record it by hand * is not very high".
However, those who are at risk because of previous illnesses such as cancer or asthma or who have contact with immunocompromised people should make use of disinfectants. To destroy the structure of the corona viruses (also called SARS-CoV-2), ethanol-based agents with a content of 62 percent ethanol or more must be used for hand disinfection. According to PTA, alcohol-based hand disinfectants based on propanol with the declaration "limited virucidal" are also effective today. RKI reported that agents with the "limited virucidal PLUS" or "virucidal" activity range are also suitable disinfectants. Adequate protection depends on correct application . At least three milliliters of hand disinfectant are required to make viruses harmless. This should wet the hands completely and then air dry them.
Read also : Coronavirus and flu in comparison: How the two viral diseases differ .
Make hand disinfectant yourself
If no ready-made products for hand disinfection are available, pharmacies can manufacture them themselves. The World Pharmacist Association FIP refers to two recipes recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) consisting of ethanol, hydrogen peroxide, glycerol and water or isopropanol, hydrogen peroxide, glycerol and water.
But you can also make hand disinfectants yourself. As SRF (Swiss radio and television) reports, homemade disinfectant is only recommended as a stopgap solution , as it dries out the skin far more than hand disinfectants available for purchase. This also promotes the development of allergic reactions. Andreas Widmer, Head of Hospital Hygiene at the University Hospital Basel, gives instructions: "Eight deciliters of alcohol (ethanol) and two deciliters of boiled water. If you add a little glycerin, you protect the skin. Alcohol removes the skin fat".
Sources : www.ptaheute.de; www.rki.de; www.br.de; www.deutsche-apotheker-zeitung.de; www.srf.ch
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