Hand Sanitizer Effectiveness Check

Throughout the pandemic, health officials have been urging us to keep our hands clean. Why? To kill particles of coronavirus to prevent it from spreading.

Hand sanitisers are one way to do so, but not all of them are effective, as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has repeatedly warned.

This week, the FDA expanded the list of products it advises people not to use to about 100 brands and 150 varieties.

Of the new products added to the list, 20 were sanitisers that didn’t contain enough alcohol to be effective.

To kill the virus, hand sanitisers must contain a sufficient amount of alcohol, at least 60% ethanol or 70% isopropanol, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). They must also be safe to use on the skin.