Hand cleaning with ash for reducing the spread of viral and bacterial infections: a rapid review

This new review is one of a series ofrapid reviews that Cochrane contributors have prepared to inform the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.Some infectious diseases are spread by airborne droplets from coughs and sneezes, which can infect people who touch contaminated skin or surfaces. Washing hands with soap and water may prevent these diseases from spreading. People with no soap may use other materials like ash, mud, soil with or without water, or water alone, to clean their hands. Hand cleaning with ash (the solid remains from cooking stoves and fires) might work by rubbing away or inactivating the virus or bacteria. However, chemicals in the ash could also damage the skin.If ash is an effective hand cleanser, it could reduce the spread of coronavirus (COVID ‐19) and other infectious diseases in low‐income areas where soap is not widely available.Inthis Cochrane Rapid Review, authors wanted to know whether people who use ash for hand cleaning are more or less likely to catch infectious diseases than people who use soap, water, mud or soil, or who do not clean their hands. They also wanted to know whether using ash causes unwanted effects, like sore hands or a rash.Authors looked for studies that examined hand cleaning with ash compared with soap, mud, soil, water only or no hand cleaning. To answer these questions, the studies could include adults and children and take place anywhere.COVID ‐19 is spreading rapidly, so the authors needed to answer this question quickly. This mea...
Source: Cochrane News and Events - Category: Information Technology Authors: Source Type: news