A study in The Journal of Hospital Infection, "Reducing viral contamination from finger pads: handwashing is more effective than alcohol-based hand disinfectants," concluded washing hands with soap and water is a better option than using alcohol-based disinfectants to remove noroviruses.
Researcher Erwin Duizer, PhD, head of Enteric Viruses Centre at the Centre for Infectious Diseases Control and National Institute for Public Health and the Environment in The Netherlands, spoke with MedicalResearch.com about the study, saying:
"Often, the use of alcohol-based hand hygiene products will contribute to reduced spread of many pathogens, including bacteria, enveloped viruses and rotavirus. However, many non-enveloped viruses such as noroviruses and enteroviruses, are quite resistant to alcohols and may require strict hand washing to prevent transmission."
