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Dr Georgi Zhelev lectures at Trakia University and is a specialist in epidemiology, infectious diseases and preventive medicine. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic (July 2020), fear of infection drove many people towards dangerous “home-made” disinfection methods — using methyl alcohol, antifreeze or home-distilled first-run spirit. Here is his advice and the dangers he warns about.
In brief
- Do not use methylated spirit, first-run spirit or antifreeze — methyl alcohol and ethylene glycol are absorbed through the skin as well and are highly poisonous.
- For disinfection, use 70% ethyl alcohol — it works better than 95%.
- Add 10% glycerine so it does not dry out the skin.
- Be careful with alcohol around babies and small children.
- Thorough washing with soap and warm water is effective enough.
Which alcohol is suitable for disinfection?
“The best products for hand disinfection are alcohol-based disinfectants. The virus has a lipid envelope and alcohols destroy it in a matter of seconds,” explains Dr Zhelev. But alcohols differ — some are suitable, others are entirely unsuitable.
Suitable ones are ethyl alcohol (spirit), isopropyl alcohol and n-propanol, which are used in professional hand disinfectants.
Why methylated spirit is dangerous
Many people ask whether they can use methylated spirit. The short answer is no. Most methylated spirit contains methyl alcohol — a highly toxic substance that can cause severe poisoning. In Iran, dozens of people drank methyl alcohol to protect themselves from the coronavirus and more than 60 died.
Most people know that methyl alcohol must not be drunk, but they do not know that it is also dangerous when used externally:
- it is absorbed through the skin and enters the bloodstream;
- when disinfecting surfaces, especially in enclosed spaces, its vapours are inhaled.
That is why, in 2018, the European Commission limited methyl alcohol in screenwash to 0.6% — the vapours are inhaled by passengers. In methylated spirit, its concentration is around 93%.
Once in the bloodstream, the liver breaks methyl alcohol down into formaldehyde — a highly toxic and carcinogenic substance — and then into formic acid and other compounds that cause severe damage.
First-run spirit — not for rubs either
Under no circumstances should you use so-called first-run spirit from home-made rakia for disinfection — it consists mainly of methyl alcohol. People know they should not drink it, but the common mistake is to use it for rubs and massages, without realising that it is absorbed through the skin.
Antifreeze
Antifreeze contains ethylene glycol — an alcohol that has no antiviral action and is extremely toxic. Poisoning can occur through swallowing, through the skin when “disinfecting” the hands, or by inhaling its vapours. Ethylene glycol causes very severe, even fatal damage to the kidneys and the brain.
Signs of methyl alcohol poisoning
They appear anywhere from a few minutes to several hours or even days after contact: headache, dizziness, vomiting, vision problems — the so-called “snowstorm” before the eyes. The poisoning can end in coma and death.
If you suspect poisoning, call 112 immediately. The antidote (ethyl alcohol or a special medication) is administered in hospital. The same treatment applies to antifreeze poisoning.
70% or 95% spirit?
Most people choose 95% spirit because they think a higher concentration disinfects better. With spirit, however, the opposite is true: 95% spirit is a weaker disinfectant than 70%. It coagulates the proteins on the surface of the skin and of the microbes too quickly, so it does not penetrate deeply — into the pores, for example — and the effect remains superficial.
“My recommendation is to use 70% spirit,” says Dr Zhelev. To stop it drying out the skin and causing sores and cracks, add 10% glycerine — 100 ml of glycerine per 1 litre of spirit.
Denatured ethyl alcohol for technical use — to which substances are added to make it undrinkable — can also be used to disinfect hands and surfaces, but of course not for drinking.
Caution with children
In adults, using spirit on hands and surfaces is safe, but in children it can lead to alcohol poisoning through the skin — especially with frequent use or over a large area. There are even reports of deaths in babies after being rubbed down with rakia. So with small children, use disinfectants only when absolutely necessary — carefully and sparingly.
Soap is enough
Disinfecting with spirit is not essential. Washing your hands thoroughly with warm water and soap is effective enough — soap destroys the surface structure of the coronavirus, literally stripping away its “crown”. When cleaning phones and door handles, if you do not have 70% spirit, you can also use a strong spirit such as vodka or rakia, although the effect is weaker.
Source: infoz.bg, July 2020
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