04/17/2020
EFFECTIVENESS
The effectiveness of hand sanitizer depends on multiple factors, including the manner in which the product is applied (e.g., quantity used, duration of exposure, frequency of use) and whether the specific infectious agents present on the person’s hands are susceptible to the active ingredient in the product. In general, alcohol-based hand sanitizers, if rubbed thoroughly over finger and hand surfaces for a period of 30 seconds, followed by complete air-drying, can effectively reduce populations of bacteria, fungi, and some enveloped viruses (e.g., influenza A viruses). Similar effects have been reported for certain alcohol-free formulations, such as SAB (surfactant, allantoin, and BAC) hand sanitizer.
Most hand sanitizers, however, are relatively ineffective against bacterial spores, non enveloped viruses (e.g., norovirus), and encysted parasites (e.g., Giardia). They also do not fully cleanse or sanitize the skin when hands are noticeably soiled prior to application. Despite the variability in effectiveness, hand sanitizers can help control the transmission of infectious diseases, especially in settings where compliance with hand washing is poor. For example, among children in elementary schools, the incorporation of either an alcohol-based or an alcohol-free hand sanitizer into classroom hand-hygiene programs has been associated with reductions in absenteeism related to infectious illness. Likewise, in the workplace, the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer has been associated with reductions in illness episodes and sick days. In hospitals and health care clinics, increased access to alcohol-based hand sanitizer has been linked to overall improvements in hand hygiene.