Lending a hand with sanitiser

By Ian Farrell and Catherine Smith2020-08-17T10:31:00

An image showing bottles of hand sanitising gel

Source: © Samuel Corum/Getty Images

When one of the key weapons in the fight against Covid-19 was in short supply, some unlikely manufacturers stepped in

Soon after a new strain of coronavirus was discovered, some everyday items were in short supplies in the shops. One was hand sanitiser – an essential in the fight against the disease. To fill the gap, organisations that usually have nothing to do with healthcare turned their attention to producing hand sanitiser. This article looks at the chemical formulas they used and examines the challenges they faced. It’s accompanied by a literacy and numeracy activity suitable for chemistry students aged 11–14.

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