Hand Sanitizers Hand Sanitizers
Medical News Today

HAND SANITIZERS

According to an article in Medical News Today, “new research has found that

hand sanitizers are not as effective as soap and water in health care settings at

preventing viral outbreaks. In fact, they may even be responsible for outbreaks

of seriously contagious viruses. As a common alternative to using soap an

water , hand sanitizers are often regarded as being the most efficient way to

cleanse hands.

In February, a survey was presented at an American College of Preventive

Medicine meeting. “The survey focused on 161 long-term facilities and found

that the preferential use of hand sanitizers over hand soap was linked to a higher

risk of outbreaks of highly infectious norovirus, a virus responsible for the

majority of acute gastroenteritis cases.

In cases where they were norovirus outbreaks, facilities that favored hand

sanitizers over soap and water for cleaning their hands, were much higher in an

Norovirus outbreak.

It is unclear if misuse of hand sanitizers has the same effect as the misuse and

improper use of antibiotics as known to create super bugs that are immune to

antibiotics.

BEST BET: Wash your hands with soap and warm water.