What Germs Are Not Killed by Hand Sanitizer?

A Person Holding Clear Plastic Bottle with Blue Liquid
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You might be surprised by this, but your hands aren’t as clean as you think they are after sanitization.

While hand sanitizers without alcohol have become the daily staple for most parents, whether on diaper duty or not, commuters holding on the filthy and the rarely cleaned bars on the subways and buses, as well as everyone else concerned about germs, the truth is that the hand sanitizer might not be as effective as you believed it to be.

Interestingly, studies by NDP Group, the global information company, indicates that hand sanitizers’ sale shot up by up to 37% in the US, from 2017-2018. While this means that we are becoming more aware of the germs around us and the need for cleaner hands and good hygiene in general, it’s important to keep in mind that your hand sanitizer bottle is and should be regarded as a final resort. You shouldn’t opt for the hand sanitizer over washing your hands with soap and water in the sink. A hand sanitizer should be the ideal germ-management solution to be used in emergencies only.

Why?

Well, it turns out that hand sanitizers will not kill germs 100%, and the hand sanitizer companies know this all too well, which is why they don’t claim that their products will get rid of bacteria and germs 100%.

Below, we look at some of the germs and viruses that will not be killed by sanitizers.

1. HPV

Even though HPV is regarded as a sexually transmitted infection, primarily, you need to know that you could still contract the HPV virus non-sexually through kissing, childbirth, diaper change, and most other forms of contact. This, according to a 2018 study that was published in The Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Research. The studies also emphasize the fact that a hand sanitizer cannot get rid of the HPV virus, regardless of the amount of sanitizer you splash on your hands.

In another study published in 2014 in The Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, disinfectants commonly used in the hand sanitizers actually do nothing to prevent the spread of the human papillomavirus.

2. Norovirus 

The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) notes that the norovirus is one of the most contagious viruses that could be spread through contaminated drinks and foods, direct contact, as well as contaminated surfaces. Therefore, while washing your hands thoroughly (with salt and clean water) is the best way to ensure your safety from this virus, the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers might not be the most effective remedy when it comes to handling and dealing with the Norovirus. Unfortunately, most people tend to rely on hand sanitizers for cleaning their hands, as reported in the American Journal of Infection Control in 2011.

3. Giardia

Giardia refers to the microscopic parasite behind nasty diarrhea and a parasitic disease called giardiasis. Even though giardiasis is commonly transmitted via contaminated food sources and water supplies, it’s quite possible to contract this illness through person-to-person contact, especially if the other person has microscopic amounts of parasite-infested fecal matter in their hands. Like HPV and norovirus, hand sanitizers do not kill giardia, and Mayo Clinic reiterates this fact noting that not even the strongest alcohol-based sanitizers could effectively prevent the transmission of giardia.

The other parasites and bacteria that will not be killed by your hand sanitizers include: Clostridium Difficile (causes gastrointestinal issues ranging from diarrhea to colitis), Cryptosporidium Parvum (causes a diarrhea-inducing disease of the intestinal tract; cryptosporidiosis), Ara H1 (causes severe allergic reactions), and Enterococcus Faecium (this causes a host of diseases that could affect your heart or the bladder). The others include MSRA, Poliovirus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Pseudomonas Aeruginosa (causes infections like pneumonia and ear infections), and Escherichia Coli (which was linked to the 2018 outbreak that caused the death of 5 people in the US.

To avoid any of these, always wash your hands with soap and water.

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