TIME: DIY alternatives for when stores are out of coronavirus-fighting products
UC expert says whatever is used, proper hand washing techniques are key
TIME Magazine interviewed Dr. Carl Fichtenbaum of UC's Division of Infectious Diseases for a story on do-it-yourself sanitizer ingredients.
Dr. Carl Fichtenbaum in a lab in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the UC College of Medicine. Photo credit/Joe Fuqua II/UC Creative + Brand
Dr. Fichtenbaum says no matter what ingredients are used, the most important element is proper hand washing techniques.
“Most of the data that’s been generated looking at enveloped viruses [like SARS-CoV-2], involves observed hand-washing for 30 seconds,” says Dr. Fichtenbaum.
He also touched on the topic of homemade masks.
“If I have the virus and I wear a homemade mask, the benefit is that it will stop some of the [virus-containing] droplets from going further around the room,” says Fichtenbaum. “It is not at all clear that the aerosol generated by coughing or sneezing is going to be stopped, especially if the particles are less than five microns.”
Read the entire article here.
Featured photo at the top: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Find the latest details related to coronavirus disease 2019 (covid-19) on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website, and follow UC's latest information with regard to the virus.
Related Stories
Struggling with daily HIV meds?
March 23, 2026
For many people living with HIV, staying healthy depends on something deceptively simple: taking a pill every day. But for those navigating unstable housing, stigma, mental health challenges or addiction, that daily routine can be hard to maintain. As Yahoo!Health recently reported, a new study suggests there may be a better option.
Local media highlight completion of Blood Cancer Healing Center fourth and fifth floors
March 16, 2026
Local media including WLWT and the Cincinnati Business Courier highlighted the opening of research laboratories and the UC Osher Wellness Suite and Learning Kitchen at the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center’s Blood Cancer Healing Center.
Is uACR the key to cardiovascular and kidney disease prevention?
March 8, 2026
As a precision biomarker, the urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (uACR) can guide physicians toward personalized, patient-centered prevention and treatment of both cardiovascular disease (CVD) and chronic kidney disease (CKD), according to new data published in the Journal of Internal Medicine.