Thursday, March 05, 2015

Blog #4 It Kills Germs For Up To 6 Hours. Can It Wipe Out Ebola?

This current event is revealing a new possible sanitizer that has the possibility to kill noroviruses in a more effective manner than ever before. Ebola is considered to be a norovirus; which is a virus that is more difficult to control and attacks the stomach and intestines. Alcohol based sanitizers and cleansers on the market right now are mostly ineffective against this specific type of virus. But, Paul Roepe, an infectious disease specialist at Georgetown University has found that chlorine is the most effective disinfectants against all microbes, including ebola. The problem with just chlorine and even diluted chlorine to 0.05 percent is that it can severely irritate the skin especially if used routinely.

Now there is a newer product floating around the market that is thought to fight off the ebola virus in a very effective way. The product is called Zylast, and it is said to begin killing bacteria within the first 15 seconds of applying it and lasting up to six hours. The idea is that people coming into contact with the ebola virus would apply this all over their skin and on the protective gear. Because the product has the ability to last up to six hours they could do what they need and then when removing their gear (which is the time where highest contamination may occur) without having to fear a speck being left on their sanitized skin. The product also contains proprietary moisturizers to make a nonirritating lotion, making it more skin friendly than hand sanitizers on the market today. This product is only sold to hospitals and schools, but the USAID is giving tens of thousands of dollars to the company, in partnership with the CDC, to explore its usefulness in slowing the spread of Ebola in Africa. This is a break through in itself because right now their is nothing on the market that can fully protect people against the deadly virus, especially in places where the conditions are very poor.

Anna Hunsucker
March 5, 2015
10:11pm

http://www.npr.org/blogs/goatsandsoda/2015/02/27/389251809/it-kills-germs-for-up-to-six-hours-can-it-wipe-out-ebola

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