Dry Taps? A Synthesis of Alternative "Wash" Methods in the Absence of Water and Sanitizers in the Prevention of Coronavirus in Low-Resource Settings
View/ Open
Date
2020Author
Kivuti-Bitok, Lucy W
Chepchirchir, Angeline
Waithaka, Peter
Ngune, Irene
Type
ArticleLanguage
enMetadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Objective: Social distancing and hand washing with soap and water have been advocated as the main proactive measures against the spread of coronavirus. We sought to find out what other alternative materials and methods would be used among populations without running water and who may not afford alcohol-based sanitizers. Results: We reviewed studies that reported use of sand, soil, ash, soda ash, seawater, alkaline materials, and sunlight as possible alternatives to handwashing with soap and water. We identified the documented mechanism of actions of these alternative wash methods on both inanimate surfaces and at cellular levels. The consideration of use of these alternative locally available in situations of unavailability of soap and water and alcohol-based sanitizers is timely in the face of coronavirus pandemic. Further randomized studies need to be carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of these alternatives in management of SARS-Cov-2.
Citation
Kivuti-Bitok LW, Chepchirchir A, Waithaka P, Ngune I. Dry Taps? A Synthesis of Alternative "Wash" Methods in the Absence of Water and Sanitizers in the Prevention of Coronavirus in Low-Resource Settings. J Prim Care Community Health. 2020 Jan-Dec;11:2150132720936858. doi: 10.1177/2150132720936858. PMID: 32578477; PMCID: PMC7315655.Publisher
University of Nairobi
Rights
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United StatesUsage Rights
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/Collections
- Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) [10387]
The following license files are associated with this item: