Most people have expressed concern that touching the communal bottle of sanitiser in public places is risky as they may be exposed to several germs including Covid-19.
Some supermarkets and shops usually place sanitisers by their entrance points so that consumers who walk in can sanitise themselves but a number of people claim the practice is ‘unsafe,’ as lot of hands touch the bottle.
However, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), there is low risk of contracting germs as you would have disinfected your hands.
“Once you’ve sanitised your hands, you have disinfected them from any germs that may have been on the bottle. If everyone uses sanitiser in a public place such as a supermarket entrance, the risk of germs on communal items will be lower and will help keep everyone safe,” said the health agency.
WHO maintains cleaning your hands is one of the key measures to prevent disease and recommends use of alcohol based sanitisers and notes that the amount of alcohol based sanitiser used matter.
“Apply a palmful of alcohol-based sanitizer to cover all surfaces of your hands. Rub your hands together using the right technique until they are dry,” said the health organisation.
“The entire procedure should last 20-30 seconds.”
