{"source_url": "https://www.news.com.au", "url": "https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/busting-the-myths-around-the-use-of-hand-sanitiser-to-prevent-coronavirus/news-story/167e079eb954b451c42ddda879d16c7b", "title": "Coronavirus: Hand sanitiser doesn\u2019t kill viruses and other myths busted", "top_image": "https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/976826d6568087e535680d828d2ee32a?width=650", "meta_img": "https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/976826d6568087e535680d828d2ee32a?width=650", "images": ["https://i1.wp.com/pixel.tcog.cp1.news.com.au/track/spp-api/v1/template/?path=components.header-desktop&t_domain=news.com.au&t_product=newscomau", "https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/ec09144ee62d723cc844334d36247d2c?width=650", "https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/03a156d7d7cc1831161cfef9f28962d2", "https://i1.wp.com/pixel.tcog.cp1.news.com.au/track/spp-api/v1/template/?articleGMT=11&path=components.footer-desktop&t_domain=news.com.au&t_product=newscomau", "https://i1.wp.com/pixel.tcog.cp1.news.com.au/track/chartbeat/live/toppages/v3/?esi=true&host=news.com.au&limit=5&section=lifestyle&sort_by=internal&t_product=newscomau&t_template=s3/ncatemp/bodyandsoul/fragment/trending&td_heading=trending%2520in%2520lifestyle&td_showcount=true&td_showimages=true&type=article", "https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/47919fa020beb6003156741a3b43865b", "https://i1.wp.com/pixel.tcog.cp1.news.com.au/track/component/article/f58f19c5eeae99b845c54e2d2b9305ca?t_domain=news.com.au&t_product=newscomau&t_template=s3/ncatemp/bodyandsoul/fragment/thumbnail", "https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/3c52886cae207c73bdc16f8031a5c375", "https://i1.wp.com/pixel.tcog.cp1.news.com.au/track/component/article/167e079eb954b451c42ddda879d16c7b?t_domain=news.com.au&t_product=newscomau&t_template=s3/ncatemp/bodyandsoul/fragment/thumbnail", "https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/976826d6568087e535680d828d2ee32a?width=650", "https://i1.wp.com/pixel.tcog.cp1.news.com.au/track/component/resource/networksales/exoduscampaigns/campaigns.json?esi=true&t_product=newscomau&t_template=s3/networksales-loader/index&td_channel=desktop&td_domain=news.com.au&td_pagetype=story&td_section=lifestyle/health/health-problems", "https://www.news.com.au/wp-content/themes/vip/newscorpau-nca/assets/dist/img/common/headshots/charis-chang.png?v=4", "https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/0f38f573ea57f0aca71502b288b8dadd", "https://i1.wp.com/pixel.tcog.cp1.news.com.au/track/component/article/883d8ee0f3fdad4305a4289f76dcdbf7?t_domain=news.com.au&t_product=newscomau&t_template=s3/ncatemp/bodyandsoul/fragment/thumbnail", "https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/9ec3488555a3d1975e5c906baa77a9d4", "https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/f3288e23b9b8168274512e541c904f86", "https://i1.wp.com/pixel.tcog.cp1.news.com.au/track/component/article/53de5794a49274c44558651d6712df71?t_domain=news.com.au&t_product=newscomau&t_template=s3/ncatemp/bodyandsoul/fragment/thumbnail", "https://i1.wp.com/pixel.tcog.cp1.news.com.au/track/component/author/224aef2a7889390ef45b13c26720393f?t_product=newscomau&t_template=s3/ncatemp/authorBlock@2.0.0", "https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/deb3fe24e73cefb2bfcdc03db46f82de", "https://i1.wp.com/pixel.tcog.cp1.news.com.au/track/spp-api/v1/template/?path=components.nav-primary&t_domain=news.com.au&t_product=newscomau", "https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/1b6b1cf2880df46a62f86a2d792aacc3", "https://i1.wp.com/pixel.tcog.cp1.news.com.au/track/component/article/6feba9b1d4ece0055c619a61d4c92327?t_domain=news.com.au&t_product=newscomau&t_template=s3/ncatemp/bodyandsoul/fragment/thumbnail", "https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/18f2da711b232ffc21a0226dcf29c9e2?width=650", "https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/e0876420cb77d87c325c1487e96638ab", "https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/25a28f6afb5720b8c763e186893628da", "https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/aebf10894a12aad161e2c64019b8785d", "https://i1.wp.com/pixel.tcog.cp1.news.com.au/track/news/content/v2?includeRelated=true&pageSize=8&query=(contentType:NEWS_STORY%2520AND%2520paidStatus:NON_PREMIUM%2520AND%2520domains:news.com.au%2520AND%2520categories.value:%2522%252Fdisplay%252Fnewscorpaustralia.com%252FWeb%252FNewsNetwork%252FLifestyle%2520-%2520syndicated%252FHealth%252FHealth%2520Problems%252F%2522)&t_product=newscomau&t_template=s3/ncatemp/standalone/readnext/more-in&td_module-header=health&td_storyID=167e079eb954b451c42ddda879d16c7b"], "movies": [], "text": "Government bodies have suggested that you need to wash your hands for 20 seconds to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Here's how to pass the time.\n\nHow to prevent coronavirus: Scientists say wash your hands to these catchy tunes!\n\nBottles of hand sanitiser have become an essential item for many Aussies but it won\u2019t necessarily protect you from coronavirus if you don\u2019t use it the right way.\n\nThere have been many myths circulating on social media about hand sanitiser, including that it won\u2019t protect you from viruses because it is an antibacterial treatment.\n\n\u201cHand sanitizer is antibacterial. The coronavirus is a virus,\u201d a now-deleted viral post from gamer Jasmin Joestar said.\n\n\u201cA bacterial and a virus is not the same. Wash your hands. Sanitizer will do nothing for the coronavirus.\u201d\n\nThe tweet was signed: \u201cA scientist that is tired of this sh*t.\u201d\n\nBut infectious diseases expert Professor Robert Booy of Sydney University said this was \u201cwrong\u201d.\n\n\u201cHand sanitisers are effective and useful on viruses,\u201d he said.\n\nThere are however, some circumstances that hand sanitiser won\u2019t work.\n\nProfessor Peter Collignon, an infectious diseases physician and microbiologist in Canberra, told news.com.au that if your hands are visibly soiled or dirty then any disinfectant doesn\u2019t work as well.\n\n\u201cIf anything is dirty then clean it first and then disinfect,\u201d he said.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s a similar principle for surgical instruments and medical equipment.\u201d\n\nIf your hands are not visibly dirty then the hand sanitiser will work by itself.\n\nRELATED: Follow the latest coronavirus updates\n\nRELATED: Ways to keep your family safe from coronavirus\n\nRELATED: Take our coronavirus poll\n\nWhile some have been worried that cheaper sanitisers won\u2019t work as well as more expensive versions, Prof Collignon said they were just as effective but they may take longer to work depending on their concentration of alcohol.\n\nSanitisers generally have an alcohol concentration of between 60 and 95 per cent.\n\nWashing your hands with soap and water is just as effective as using hand sanitiser and Australians are being urged to do this regularly to reduce their risk of contracting coronavirus.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s not the end of the world if you miss out on buying alcohol hand rub because washing your hands with soap and water is also very effective \u2013 there is not a huge amount of difference,\u201d Prof Collignon said.\n\n\u201cOne is just more convenient than the other and contains alcohol.\n\n\u201cYou can put it in your pocket and don\u2019t have to be near a sink or basin to use it.\u201d\n\nBut Prof Collignon warned against people excessively washing their hands with either cleaning agent.\n\nHe said over-usage of soap and water can lead to dermatitis and people should use commonsense.", "keywords": [], "meta_keywords": ["coronavirus", "hand sanitiser", "infectious diseases", "Damaging myth", "seen hand sanitiser", "Hand sanitisers", "Hand sanitizer", "infectious diseases physician", "Excess hand washing", "infectious diseases expert", "contracting coronavirus", "coronavirus updates", "coronavirus outbreak", "Government bodies", "alcohol concentration", "family safe", "Canberra", "Australian Capital Territory", "Australia", "Australia and New Zealand", "Oceania", "Sydney", "New South Wales University", "Peter Collignon", "Robert Booy", "S. Warren", "Charis Chang"], "tags": [], "authors": ["Charis Chang"], "publish_date": "Thu Mar  5 05:05:00 2020", "summary": "", "article_html": "", "meta_description": "Bottles of hand sanitiser have become an essential item for many Aussies but it won\u2019t necessarily protect you from coronavirus if you don\u2019t use it the right way.", "meta_lang": "en", "meta_favicon": "https://resources.newscdn.com.au/cs/nca/latest/public/img/favicons/favicon.ico", "meta_data": {"viewport": "width=device-width", "generator": "tcog", "articleid": "167e079eb954b451c42ddda879d16c7b", "article": {"published_time": "2020-03-05T05:05:00.000Z", "modified_time": "2020-03-05T06:20:56.000Z", "publisher": "News Limited", "author": "Charis Chang", "publicationdate": "05/03/2020"}, "description": "Bottles of hand sanitiser have become an essential item for many Aussies but it won\u2019t necessarily protect you from coronavirus if you don\u2019t use it the right way.", "keywords": "coronavirus,hand sanitiser,infectious diseases,Damaging myth,seen hand sanitiser,Hand sanitisers,Hand sanitizer,infectious diseases physician,Excess hand washing,infectious diseases expert,contracting coronavirus,coronavirus updates,coronavirus outbreak,Government bodies,alcohol concentration,family safe,Canberra,Australian Capital Territory,Australia,Australia and New Zealand,Oceania,Sydney, New South Wales University,Peter Collignon,Robert Booy,S. Warren,Charis Chang", "og": {"image": "https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/976826d6568087e535680d828d2ee32a?width=650", "title": "What you need to know about hand sanitiser", "type": "article", "url": "https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/busting-the-myths-around-the-use-of-hand-sanitiser-to-prevent-coronavirus/news-story/167e079eb954b451c42ddda879d16c7b", "site_name": "NewsComAu", "description": "Bottles of hand sanitiser have become an essential item for many Aussies but it won\u2019t necessarily protect you from coronavirus if you don\u2019t use it the right way."}, "fb": {"app_id": 113758722003364, "admins": "1533025129,653135158,737988273"}, "twitter": {"card": "summary_large_image", "site": "@newscomauHQ", "title": "What you need to know about hand sanitiser"}, "robots": "noarchive", "apple-mobile-web-app-title": "news.com.au", "msapplication-TileColor": "#ffffff", "theme-color": "#ffffff", "msapplication-TileImage": "https://resources.newscdn.com.au/cs/nca/latest/public/img/favicons/mstile-144x144.png", "msapplication-config": "https://resources.newscdn.com.au/cs/nca/latest/public/img/favicons/browserconfig.xml", "application-name": "news.com.au", "referrer": "origin", "google-site-verification": "GWTbDFKaKnGKyk3q0Na5jIbWHZ4qXn-ibcfMayjSQA0"}, "canonical_link": "https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/busting-the-myths-around-the-use-of-hand-sanitiser-to-prevent-coronavirus/news-story/167e079eb954b451c42ddda879d16c7b"}