"The new coronavirus is alcohol-shy and doesn't tolerate high temperatures." As related topics on the hot search, a rush to buy medical alcohol, 84 disinfectant water, etc., in their own disinfection at home, but also virtually buried a hidden safety hazard. Epidemic current, after all how should correct use medical alcohol disinfection product, whether alcohol concentration is higher better? What should notice again?
The higher the alcohol, the better？
The effectiveness of alcohol in disinfectants and fungicides depends on the concentration of ethanol. To kill 99.99 percent of bacteria, ethanol typically needs to be 60 percent or more
It was found that the ethanol solution with a concentration higher than 60% had the killing effect. Concentrations of 75 to 80 percent kill most bacteria and enveloped viruses in a matter of seconds, but not bacterial spores. Of this, 75% is a commonly used concentration and is most widely used in hospital systems, research laboratories and other places where disinfection is needed.
But 95% of concentrated ethanol is less effective than dilute ethanol, with 70% to 75% being the best. This is because a high concentration of ethanol causes proteins on the surface of bacteria to condense and form a layer of dura, which turns to protect the bacteria from further penetration by alcohol. At this point, the cell becomes inactive but does not die. So 75% ethanol is a better choice.
So, is ethanol useful for novel coronavirus? The novel coronaviruses belong to the novel coronaviruses of the genus taxa.
Can medical alcohol be used for air sterilization?
Ethanol is a widely used disinfectant in clinic, but because of its high concentration, it can only be used in vitro. For example, hand sanitization and surface cleaning. Specifically in the process of home disinfection, 3 parts of pure ethanol and 1 part of water can be configured into 75% concentration of ethanol as the base hand lotion, or by spraying, wiping to clean and disinfect the surface of the object.
At present, in accordance with the recommendations of the world health organization (WHO), the Chinese center for disease control and prevention (CDC) and relevant departments in China, it is recommended to wash hands with soap and running water. In the absence of hand washing materials or the environment, and the hands are not significantly contaminated, use alcohol hand lotion.
Of course, rubbing your hands with ethanol is much more convenient than washing them with soap. Because the ethanol evaporates quickly, there is no need for a hand drying procedure, which is convenient and reduces the potential for contamination. Meanwhile, another major use of ethanol-based disinfectants is to clean and disinfect surfaces by spraying or wiping.
It is worth noting that ethanol cannot be used for air sterilization and other purposes. Some people use ethanol sprays to sterilize indoor air, a practice that has no basis for killing. Moreover, the concentration of ethanol in the air is easy to produce combustion phenomenon, resulting in fire. Therefore, it is not recommended to spray ethanol into the air at home. In non-medical environments, such as the non-polluted indoor Spaces of our homes, the air is unlikely to be suspended at concentrations high enough to cause transmission, so there is no need for air disinfection, just regular ventilation through doors and Windows.
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