Good hygiene and physical distancing are the
best ways to protect yourself and everyone
around you from the novel coronavirus (COVID-
19) according to the World Health Organization.
Good hand hygiene can be the final barrier
between us and the disease.
When applied to hands thoroughly and scrubbing
for at least 20 seconds, both soap and alcohol-
based hand sanitisers will stop the coronavirus.
Do not try to ingest or breathe soap or other
cleaning products.
GOOD HAND HYGIENE CAN BE THE FINAL
BARRIER BETWEEN US AND THE DISEASE.
Any soap will protect you.
Soap molecules have two chemically distinct
parts: a hydrophilic (water-loving) ‘head’ and a
hydrophobic (water-hating) ‘tail’. The head helps
the soap mix with water, while the tail can
interact with other hydrophobic molecules like
lipids.
Luckily f
or us, the coronavirus’s membrane is
mostly made up of lipid molecules held together
by weak chemical interactions between
individual molecules.
How soap help disrupt cov:
If the virus is broken up before it has
safely sheltered in a host cell, it will no
longer be able to do its infectious job
Soap molecules then surround virus
fragments with all tails facing inside.
This cluster is called a micelle.
The outward-facing hydrophilic heads
allow the micelle to be washed down
the drain with water.
TO BE EFFECTIVE, HAND SANITISERS MUST
CONTAIN AT LEAST60 PERCENT ALCOHOL
To be effective, hand sanitisers must contain at least
60 per cent alcohol. Some researchers recommend
more than 75 per cent alcohol.
A higher alcohol content is not automatically more
effective, either. The water in the sanitiser can keep
the alcohol from evaporating too fast, allowing the
virus to be drenched for longer. Water is also needed
for the process that interferes with protein function.
If you have access to commercial supplies, hand
sanitisers are a great option for touch-ups between
hand washes. The same is true if you have limited
access to soap and water.
Make sure to check the expiry date though, because
the alcohol can evaporate even out of sealed
containers.
TREATMENT:
There is no specific antiviral treatment
recommended for 2019-nCoV infection. People
infected with 2019-nCoV should receive
supportive care to help relieve symptoms. For
severe cases, treatment should include care to
support vital organ functions.