It’s the question every person is asking themselves right now—how can I protect myself from Coronavirus?
While antibacterial soap might sound like the best way, experts are saying that if you are using antibacterial soap as an added layer of protection it’s probably just giving you a false sense of security.
All Soap is Good Soap
Regular soap is effective at fighting infectious diseases, including Coronavirus, because it tears them apart.
Coronavirus is held together by a lipid membrane, a kind of fatty shell, and regular soap strips that protective layer away from the virus, kills it, and removes it from your hands and surfaces. Antibacterial soaps (and hand sanitizers) do not work this way and are not better at fighting Coronavirus than plain soap.
“If you use [antibacterial soaps] because you think they protect you more than soap and water, that’s not correct,” Theresa Michele of the FDA said when asked about using antibacterial soap to fight Coronavirus.
The Gold Standard
The CDC is calling plain soap and water the gold standard when it comes to fighting Coronavirus, and says that frequently washing your hands for 20 seconds with plain soap and water is one of the best ways to fight off the spread of Coronavirus.