Protection from Norovirus

[ewilkins]

Hey everyone, here's a link to the CDC site. It gives great advice on protecting you and your family. Thought I'd pass it along: http://www.cdc.gov/Features/Norovirus/index.html.

[jennjt]

This is interesting because the site says to use alcohol-based hand sanitizers if soap & water not available. I thought alcohol-based products were not effective against Noro? Isn't the ingredient found in wet ones (Benzathonium Chloride), at least .3% was better?

[summerdazies]

jennjt - you're correct; alcohol-based products aren't effective enough against norovirus to be relied upon. They do provide some reduction in viral numbers, but not enough. Benzethonium chloride DOES provide a high degree of reduction in a concentration of 0.3% enough to be considered effective against norovirus. I'm not sure why the CDC has that up there, but I guess because it's better than nothing, and some alcohol-based sanitizers do have benzethonium chloride.

[lilwng]

I think the theory of rubbing your hands together creates friction that can help shed the virus. So if nothing else is available it's better than nothing!

[Acilia14Remo]

Hello! I am new here, I have been phobic since 1st grade. I am in my 30's now. Long time sufferer to say the least. This morning I was doing a lot of reading, because I was feeling suspicious that the hand sanitizer that we put our faith in isn't quite doing what I would like it too. My suspicions were confirmed reading this article.
(I wanted to link the article, but since I am new, it wouldn't let me put a link...so I copied and pasted in the bottom of this post!!)

I placed an order for the Clorox hand sanitizing spray, it is set to arrive on my birthday, happy birthday to me!

Which sanitizers kill the stomach flu?

Answer: Clorox Hand Sanitizing Spray, Germstar Noro, and Sterizar Hand Foamer Washing your hands with soap and water is the best way to get rid of the gastroenteritis viruses. It does not kill them but it washes them off your hands and down the drain. But when you can’t get to a sink, you need something else. Regular 62% alcohol hand sanitizer gels such as regular Purell® do a great job killing rotavirus but are not that great at killing norovirus1 (they are better than nothing, though). Norovirus is a particularly "sturdy" virus. It has evolved to withstand the acidic environment of the stomach so well that it is hard to kill. Also, researchers have found that the "gel" in these gel hand sanitizers "protect" norovirus. There are some other hand sanitizers that are very effective against norovirus.

Clorox Hand Sanitizing Spray
Clorox Hand Sanitizing Spray kills norovirus. This is a liquid spray hand sanitizer with 71% ethanol. It does not contain bleach. It is not available in most stores. You may be able to find it at Staples and Office Depot. You can also order it on amazon. I'd suggest getting a this 3 pack of little 2 ounce bottles to carry around and then the big refill bottle. I have been using this hand sanitizer myself.

Germstar®Noro
The company Germstar® has specifically designed a hand sanitizer that kills norovirus. It is called Germstar Noro. It's active ingredient is 63% ethanol. So, how could this possibly work when the regular 62% alcohol products don't work very well? I contacted the company to find out. I read their ingredient list, read their test results, and e-mailed the scientist who did the tests. This is what I learned. Germstar®Noro contains an emollient complex that makes it work better. The phrase "emollient complex" probably sounds fishy to you (like an anti-wrinkle cream commercial). Basically, they have added some extra ingredients that make the alcohol work much better. They also did not add glycerin (which most alcohol hand gels contain). They found that the glycerin "protects" the viruses. I believe their results and I trust that Germstar®Noro does kill norovirus, especially since the scientist who tested Germstar®Noro (Dr. Syed Sattar) is one of the top researchers in the field. Germstar®Noro is currently only available to purchase on the company's website. They are trying hard to get their product in stores. I have used Germstar®Noro for years and I really like it. (I have also recently started using the Clorox Hand Sanitizer Spray). It is a liquid that comes in a spray bottle. It dries really nice with no stickiness. Like all alcohol hand sanitizers, it stings my knuckles in the winter when they are dry and chapped. Therefore, I usually just put it on my palms and fingers. I don't eat with my knuckles, anyway. I recommend getting the 2 oz bottles for carrying in your purse or coat pocket.


Amosil Q 24 hour hand sanitizers--These have NOT been tested for their ability to kill norovirus.
There are 3 different companies who make hand sanitizers using the active ingredient Amosil Q. They are very exciting because the companies claim that it kills bacteria, viruses, and fungi for up to 24 hours. The amosil Q forms a layer of microscopic "spikes" on your skin that mechanically kill germs by poking holes in them. They claim the germs die instantly and it remains on your skin for up to 24 hours. The 3 products that I have found are Qore 24, Prefenze, and Germ Free 24. I contacted the makers of Qore24 in October 2012. They said that they are currently testing Qore 24 for its ability to kill norovirus but don't have the results yet. They also said that absolutely none of the hand sanitizer is absorbed into your skin or into your body so it is completely safe and non-toxic. It would be wonderful if there was something you could spray on your kids hands before school and it actually killed germs all day!
STERIZAR
The company Germ-Aside also has a very exciting hand sanitizer called Sterizar hand foam. Unfortunately, it is not available in the US at this time. It is only available in the UK. This hand sanitizer promises not only to kill norovirus but also claims to continue working for 6 hours! I have read their experimental procedures and test results and am very impressed. 6 hours after application, the test subjects who used the hand sanitizer had 99% less bacteria on their hands than the control people who did not use the hand sanitizer.
I contacted the makers of Purell on March 8, 2012 to see if they had any hand sanitizers that were effective against norovirus. They said that they could not provide me with any of that information.
Internet rumors say that Wet Ones® Antibacterial Wipes kill norovirus. However, this is NOT TRUE. I contacted the Playtex® company (on January 8, 2009) who makes Wet Ones® Antibacterial wipes, and they told me that their wipes have not been tested for their ability to kill norovirus or rotavirus. The active ingredient, Benzethonium Chloride HAS recently been tested for its ability to kill norovirus and it DID NOT KILL NOROVIRUS.² There is a related compound called benzalkonium chloride which has been shown to kill norovirus but it is not contained in these wipes.³


If anyone knows of another hand sanitizer for which there is proof that it kills rotavirus and norovirus, please let me know. phd.annie at gmail.com


Is it safe to put hand sanitizer on a child who sucks his/her thumb?

Many people wonder if it is okay to put hand sanitizer on the hands of a child who sucks his/her thumb. Most hand sanitizers are made with ethyl alcohol (ethanol). That is the same alcohol that people drink in beer and wine. So, ingesting a small amount of ethanol is not going to hurt anyone. I called the Ohio poison control center about this on March 13, 2012 and the nurse told me that it was perfectly safe for a child to eat the tiny bit of ethanol based hand sanitizer that was on his/her hand. I put alcohol hand sanitizer on my daughter and try to make her wait until her hands are dry before she sucks her thumb. I can't vouch for the safety of other ingredients that may be in your particular hand sanitizer or of all the other types of hand sanitzers. However, such tiny amounts probably aren't harmful. I am not proud of this but my 17 month old son recently ate a puff of my hair mousse, a finger full of black craft paint, desitin, a mouthful of dryer lint, and one ladybug. I called poison control each time and they said none of it would be a problem since he only ate tiny amounts. My son never got sick and was fine. I really can't take my eyes off him, though. He refuses to eat any vegetables and throws most of his food on the floor during meals. Why would you eat a ladybug but not a pea? He is much more trouble than my first two. Good thing he is so cute!

--Annie Pryor, Ph.D.

[ruhligv]

Go to this site: http://www.doitbest.com/Hand+cleaner...sku-620956.dib and you will find that you can buy a case of 12 for $12! I bought 2 cases and had them delivered free to a local Cash and Carry store. The active ingredient is Benzalkonium Chloride which kills noro. I have one in my car, at work, and in every room of my apartment! And they are so cheap!!! You could pay upwards of $5 for a single one the same size! Check it out!