Which one is better against coronavirus: Hand sanitizer or Soap?

With the world crippled by coronavirus and economies stagnated, the biggest question that comes to mind is the protection against this deadly pandemic. So, we are going to talk about 

Which one is better against coronavirus: Hand sanitizer or Soap?

If you look closely, your hands are anything but soft. With bumps and gaps, folds and meanders, there are many places where a virus can hide. The virus can infect you if you then touch your face. However, there are two incredibly simple ways to avoid this: hand sanitizer, and soap and water. 

So what's the best way to go about?

The coronavirus that causes COVID-19, like other viruses, has a outer protective surface made of a lipid bilayer. The head of these lipids are attracted to water, while its tail is repelled by it. They have a pin-shaped structure.

Lipids form a shell in water-rich environments with the head outside and the tail inside. Due to the joint reaction with water, the lipids adhere to one another. It is the hydrophobic effect. This external structure enables the molecular mechanism of the virus to pierce the cell membrane and penetrate our cells.

But it has thousands of vulnerabilities that the right molecules could break into pieces. And this is where the soap has to play its part. A drop of soap contains quadrillions molecules known as amphiphile, which look like biological lipids. The tails of these amphiphile, which are also repelled by water, fight to gain space from the lipids that surround the virus.

But their difference allows them to break the regularity of the virus membrane, causing the total disintegration of the virus. These amphiphiles then form bubbles around the particles, including RNA and viral proteins. When rinsing, the water removes the entire bubbled contents.

Hand sanitizers act more like an earthquake, but less like a crowbar. When coronavirus is surrounded by water, the hydrophobic effect strengthens the bonds in the membrane. It is the same effect that helps keep big proteins, which form the tips of the corona virus in a structure, and that allows them to infect our cells.

If you dry out the virus in air, it remains stable. But if you surround it with a high concentration of alcohol like ethanol or isopropanol, which is contained in most hand sanitizers, the hydrophobic effect disappears, and creates space for the molecules to move.

Basically, it's like removing all nails and cement from one house and then it is struck by an earthquake. The cell membrane collapses along with spike proteins. In each method, the virus destruction process only takes a second or two. However, because of the complex structure of your hands, doctors recommend washing for at least 20 seconds.

The Two S's

The two S’s namely soap and sanitizer should reach every corner, palms, fingertips, the back of the hands and between the fingers to work properly. And when it comes to the coronavirus pandemic, doctors recommend washing hands with soap and water as much as possible.

Even the two methods are equivalent in terms of their effectiveness, soap with water has two advantages: firstly, removes any dirt that could hide a virus. But especially, it is much easier to completely cover your hands for 20 seconds with soap and water. However, hand sanitizers come with the convenience of using on the go. If you don't have access to a sink, you should use it profusely and rub your hands together until they're dry.

Unfortunately, billions of people have no access to clean and drinkable water. This is a big problem at all times, but especially during a pandemic. Researchers and support groups are looking for solutions at these places. For example, one device uses salt, water, and a car battery to produce chlorinated water that kills dangerous pathogens and it is safe for the hands cleaning.

Therefore, it is recommended to use soap and water against the virus. But is it the best method for all virus pandemics? Not necessarily. Many colds are caused by rhinoviruses whose protein structure is shaped like a capsid, instead of a lipid membrane.

The capsid has much fewer vulnerabilities against the soap amphiphiles to wreck it apart. Therefore, it takes longer for soap to take its effect. However, some proteins on the surface are still exposed to the destabilizing effect of hand sanitizer. In such cases, hand sanitizer can be more effective, especially if you wash your hands afterwards to remove any remaining particles.

 
Conclusion

The best way to know what to use for any given outbreak is to do what is best for all things related to illness: follow the advice of accredited medical professionals. Start cleaning your hands now and for 20 seconds. Oops! Don’t touch your face.