A major step to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus and keep oneself free from the COVID-19 infection is to keep one's hands cleansed with soap and alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
In this light, the Department of Chemistry of the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi has come up with their alcohol-based sanitizer, prepared under the formulations prescribed by the WHO. The sanitizer is strong enough to destroy coronavirus and its spores from the hand surfaces.
IIT Director's FB post goes viral
In a Facebook post, the IIT Delhi director V.Ramgopal Rao writes, 'At IIT Delhi, we were facing issues getting hand sanitizers in large quantities. Even when they were available, vendors were charging exorbitant amounts and quality was suspect.'
The formulation of the technical students' sanitizer abides by the WHO's prescriptions. It contains three chemicals along with the aloe vera with isopropyl alcohol in 75% as the major component.
According to Prof Anil J Elias, the Head of the Dept. Of Chemistry, "alcohol rub sanitizers containing at least 70% alcohol are known to kill microbes on hands within 30 seconds to one-minute application."
Hand sanitizers: The most essential
Hand sanitizers are the most needed for the people in the current situation because most of the time soap and water may not be handy in all the situations.
Calling it the "spirit" to combat coronavirus, an ecstatic Rao added: "Head, Chemistry sent an email to all other departments saying anyone who needs them, can come and collect." It took the premier institute two days to make 50litres of the solution at negligible costs.
Meanwhile, a few days back, IIT Hyderabad has also reported producing a sanitizer made from their laboratories in line with the standards said by the WHO and Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Around 10 liters of this hand sanitizer has already been kept on the campus for the benefit of the students, staff, and faculty.
