Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Mar;49(3):401-402.
doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2020.08.020. Epub 2020 Aug 18.

Inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 by commercially available alcohol-based hand sanitizers

Rachel A Leslie  1 , S Steve Zhou  2 , David R Macinga  3
Affiliations

Inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 by commercially available alcohol-based hand sanitizers

Rachel A Leslie et al. Am J Infect Control. 2021 Mar.

Abstract

Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are being recommended as an infection prevention measure for COVID-19. Recently published data indicates that ethanol effectively inactivates the SARS-CoV-2 virus, but there is a lack of data for formulated hand sanitizer products currently used in U.S. healthcare and general settings. This study demonstrates a commercially available foam and gel alcohol-based hand sanitizer are effective in inactivating SARS-CoV-2 in suspension.

Keywords: Alcohol-based hand rub; COVID-19; Coronavirus; Hand hygiene; Hand sanitizer; Hygienic hand rub.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): How to protect yourself & others. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/preventio.... Accessed June 12, 2020.
    1. Hand Hygiene Recommendations: Guidance for healthcare providers about hand hygiene and COVID-19. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/hand-hygiene.html. Accessed June 12, 2020.
    1. Kampf G. Efficacy of ethanol against viruses in hand disinfection. J Hosp Infect. 2018;98:331–338. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Kampf G, Todt D, Pfaender S, Steinmann E. Persistence of coronaviruses on inanimate surfaces and their inactivation with biocidal agents. J Hosp Infect. 2020;104:246–251. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Kratzel A, Todt D, V'kovski P, et al. Inactivation of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 by WHO-recommended hand rub formulations and alcohols. Emerg Infect Dis. 2020;26:1592–1595. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types