Effectiveness of Hand Sanitizers against Human Microbiota of the Skin during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Control of COVID-19 and its pandemic has become a health crisis in the world. Due to the high latency period of this virus and its transmission, we are facing with the overwhelming prevalence of this disease. However, it is possible to prevent the spread of the virus using the implementing control strategies and management of effective hygiene procedures. Skin is the largest organ of the human body and is known as the first defense against the microbial pathogens, on the other hand, skin is an appropriate habitat for diverse and complex collection of bacteria. Hands are important risk factors for the spread of the infection, and the use of hand sanitizers reduces the number of skin microbiota which results in many different allergic reactions and also increases the bacterial resistance against different antimicrobial agents. Also, they may increase the risk of skin cancer. This review has focused on the effectiveness of hand hygiene on the diversity of skin microbiota during the COVID-19 pandemic, and also the importance of surface disinfectants in reducing or disrupting of infection transmission. In addition, the antibacterial mechanisms of different disinfectants and their effects on the transmission of Covid-19 will be discussed.