Alcohol-free sanitizer invented to curb spread of Covid-19

Necessity is indeed the mother of invention as the science world rushes to find possible solutions to the ballooning COVID-19 pandemic.

This has propelled the Dedan Kimathi University of Technology (DKUT) to invent an Alcohol-free hand sanitizer to cater to the scarcity caused by panic buying after the first case was confirmed in Kenya.

“We have developed a hand sanitizer that is competitively able to totally destroy the Coronavirus,” said Dr Moses Ollengo, a lecturer in the university’s Chemistry department.

The product destroys the virus by splitting the lipid layer of the virus-carrying molecule.

This is done by use of a chemical known as Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLES), which penetrates the lipid layer and splits it through repulsive forces. The chemical is an ideal cleansing agent due to its mild nature.

The sanitizer also has aloe-vera extract, which owing to its antibacterial properties, clears bacteria that spread diseases.

Compared to an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, the alcohol- free sanitizer works to inhibit the spread of the virus by total destruction of the viral RNA molecule when in contact with human DNA.

An alcohol-based sanitizer works via penetration of the molecule and deactivating its spread through rapid evaporation. This, therefore, means that the molecule is not destroyed, but collapsed to stop spreading.

This is why it is advisable to use soap when washing one’s hands, as the soap completely destroys the viral RNA molecule.