"The gold standard is, of course, soap and water," said Brian Sansoni, a spokesman for the Washington-based Soap and Detergent Association, an industry trade group. "But let's face it, we're not always around soap and water in our daily travels. The good thing is the sanitizer products are portable. You can't always take the soap and water with you."
Since it is made with alcohol, hand sanitizer - when used properly - kills most every germ it comes in contact with, unlike some antibacterial soap products that have led to worries about antibiotic resistance (a claim Tierno dismisses). The main thing it won't kill, Boehler said, is the intestinal bacteria Clostridium difficile, so staff who deal with patients with diarrhea must use soap and water.
Sanitizer kills down to the DNA of bacteria or viruses, Tierno said, meaning there is little chance of creating resistant organisms. But he cautions that just as with hand washing, hand sanitizers need to be used properly. Be sure to use a quarter-sized dollop and rub it on the top and bottom of the hand, between the fingers and into the nail bed, he said.
Still, Dr. Allison E. Aiello, a professor at University of Michigan School of Public Health who has studied hand sanitizer, said while there is a benefit to good hand hygiene, no studies have been done to see whether sanitizers or soap and water are more effective at reducing the spread of influenza. But, she said, sanitizer "does not seem to be inferior."
Hand washing alone won't protect from the flu this fall, Aiello said, because the respiratory illness is spread by water droplets and a sneeze sends those droplets far and wide with great speed. She hopes people will be sure to sneeze into their sleeves and stay home if they are sick in order to slow the virus.
Kids are learning proper respiratory etiquette at a young age, Boehler said, but adults have been slow to catch on.
Sanitizing tips
* Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer that is at least 60 percent alcohol.
* Use a dime- to quarter-size dollop of the sanitizer. Make sure to cleanse the top and bottom of hands, in between the fingers and in the nail bed.
* Try not to sneeze or cough into hands. This only promotes the spread of the flu. Use your sleeves when possible.
