Coronavirus| How effective are soaps and sanitizers in tackling COVID-19?

Coronavirus isa family of viruses that can cause common cold, cough and more severe diseases like Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). Coronavirus Disease (Covid-19) was discovered in 2019 in China, and the viruscausing it was notidentified before in the human body.

World Health Organization (WHO) has introduced some measures for reducing the infection of Coronavirus (COVID-19).One of the specific ways of reducing the risk of coronavirus is to wash your hands regularly with the help of soap and water. Washing hands is important because, throughout the day, we touch a lot of things and surfaces that have lots of germs that cause coronavirus. That’s why washing hands ona regular basis is the most important thing that can reduce the risk of infection.

Our hands Contain manyviruses and bacteria. Washing hands without soap do not remove viruses and bacteria. So, for clean hands, we have to use soap.

Viruses like coronavirus, influenza – causing virus, Ebola have genetic material layer of fat called the lipid envelop. The molecules of soap have two parts- head (water-loving- hydrophilic) and tail (oil-loving-oleophilic). The tail part has the affinity towards the lipids in the virus envelop. The tail gets into the envelope due to weak bond holding the virus together. The tail dissolves the virus into components and these are removed by water. Rotavirus, Poliovirus, human papillomavirus, etc. do not have lipid envelop.

WHO also suggested use of alcohol-based sanitizerto get rid of COVID-19. Alcohol based sanitizer dissolve the layer of lipid envelop and inactivate the viruses. Alcohol based sanitizer have the ability to destruct the mushroom shaped protein structures(helps virus to bind with special structures on human cells) that stick out of lipid envelope. Sanitizer containing more than 60% alcohol is more effective than other sanitizers. Alcohol does not come in with the contact of all parts of the hand, so the people have to be careful while using sanitizer. Sanitizer reduce the number of microbes, butit does not remove all types of germs.

Wearing masks is one of the Effective Way of preventing the virus. Coughing and Sneezing is one of the major routes of spreading virus. Wearing mask can give a false sense of security that mask can control the virus, but individual must wash hands regularly with soap and avoid touching face with dirty hands.