Hand sanitizer is a poor substitute for actually washing your hands with soap and water.
Coronaviruses are “enveloped” viruses, which means they have a fat-based shell that protects the genetic material and (presumably) aids it in infecting a cell.
Destroying this shell “kills” the virus.
While an alcohol sanitizer can of course dissolve the fats in the shell, it is difficult to get enough alcohol all over the skin to do this.
Soap is more effective because it actively attacks fats, and of course washing your hands provides far more volume and time in which to destroy the virus shells.
Studies confirm the efficacy of hand sanitizer against enveloped viruses [1][2]. Although there is some evidence that handwashing is preferable against viruses [3].
Hand sanitizer is a poor substitute for actually washing your hands with soap and water.
Coronaviruses are “enveloped” viruses, which means they have a fat-based shell that protects the genetic material and (presumably) aids it in infecting a cell.
Destroying this shell “kills” the virus.
While an alcohol sanitizer can of course dissolve the fats in the shell, it is difficult to get enough alcohol all over the skin to do this.
Soap is more effective because it actively attacks fats, and of course washing your hands provides far more volume and time in which to destroy the virus shells.
What is your source for this? The CDC recommends hand sanitizer in cases where washing is not easily possible. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/prevention-treatment.html
Studies confirm the efficacy of hand sanitizer against enveloped viruses [1][2]. Although there is some evidence that handwashing is preferable against viruses [3].
[1] https://academic.oup.com/jid/article/215/6/902/2965582
[2] https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/44102/9789241597906_eng.pdf;jsessionid=D50A762FABCFB1569406859669F8FAD4?sequence=1
[3] https://msphere.asm.org/content/4/5/e00474-19