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  • It seems like this new coronavirus outbreak has turned a lot of us into germophobes.

  • And like, for good reason!

  • The thing is, a lot of what people are doing doesn't really helpand could take away

  • supplies from those who actually need them.

  • And by understanding what does help, and how it prevents the spread of infection, you're

  • much more likely to be successful at protecting yourself as much as possible without taking

  • things away from people who need them the most.

  • So watch this video and also, share this with as many people as possible!

  • Now, the most obvious thing you see people doing is wearing face masksand you see people

  • hoarding them.

  • The problem is, they probably don't actually protect you from getting the virus.

  • Which makes sense, given that face masks were designed to prevent sick people from infecting

  • others.

  • They cover your mouth and nose in a way that filters most of the air you breathe out.

  • But inhaling is a different storythere are plenty of gaps between the mask and your

  • face, which makes them pretty ineffective at keeping particles out.

  • Even those super-fancy N95 respirators you might have heard about have mixed results,

  • and that's in people who undergo rigorous, yearly training to make sure they know how

  • to use them properly.

  • We did a whole episode actually on why face masks don't protect you from the flu a couple

  • of years ago, which you can check out if you're interested in learning more.

  • Now, you might have heard some health professionals saying everyone wearing masks would decrease

  • the number of infections.

  • That's because it would prevent people who are infected but aren't really showing it

  • from spreading their germs to the world around them.

  • But, complicating all this is the fact that, in many places, there simply aren't enough

  • medical masks to go around.

  • Healthcare workers and others who really need them are already low on supplies.

  • Luckily, if your goal is to protect others, you don't need a medical mask.

  • Studies show that masks made from everyday items like T-shirts can reduce the germs that

  • you emit into the world around you.

  • So if you're not clearly sick, you can use a DIY maskat least until manufacturers

  • have caught up with the medical demand.

  • And there are plenty of other things that you can do to protect yourself.

  • Like staying home, and washing your hands a lot.

  • That's what all the experts are recommending.

  • You knowuse soap, wash for at least 20 seconds, make sure to scrub under your fingernails,

  • stuff like that.

  • I have actually gone the extra mile and cut my fingernails quite short.

  • In some places, you almost can't walk past a sink without seeing a sign telling you to

  • singHappy Birthdaytwice while washing your hands.

  • But maybe the best way to make sure you're washing your hands properly is to understand

  • how it helps on a deeper level.

  • Almost any surface can have virus particleswhether because a sick person sneezed

  • near it, coughed on it, touched it, or licked it, people are weird.

  • If you touch that surface, and then you touch your eyes or nose or mouth, you've just

  • exposed yourself to the virus, which cannot penetrate your skin, but can get in through

  • what we called mucus membranes.

  • The main goal with washing your hands is to scrub germs off.

  • Soap helps with that by making your skin slippery, so pathogens rinse away more easily.

  • But with certain types of germs, soap can have an added benefit: killing them.

  • A lot of microbes, including coronaviruses, are surrounded by a layer of fatty molecules.

  • Soap contains compounds that can rip those molecules apart and that destroys the virus's

  • ability to infect you.

  • And that brings us to another way to protect yourself: hand sanitizer.

  • Hand sanitizers, specifically ones that contain at least 60% alcohol, can kill almost all

  • of the coronavirus particles they come in contact with for long enough.

  • Like soap, alcohol kills coronaviruses by disrupting the membrane that surrounds them.

  • But rather than straight-up ripping the membrane apart, alcohol interacts with the membrane

  • in a way that makes it less stable and more permeable.

  • Then, the alcohol molecules can actually get inside the virus and wreak havoc on its proteins,

  • destroying them from within.

  • As with hand washing, experts recommend making sure the sanitizer covers all the nooks and

  • crannies of your hands, and leaving it there for at least 20 seconds so the alcohol has

  • enough time to kill the germs.

  • That said, there's a shortage of hand sanitizer, too.

  • So don't overdo it with the hoardingjust buy however many bottles you need, and leave

  • the rest for everyone else.

  • Meanwhile, disinfectants can do for surfaces what hand sanitizer and washing with soap

  • does for your hands.

  • In earlier studies, researchers found that coronaviruses can stay alive on surfaces like

  • metal, glass, or plastic for a long time.

  • And a recent study found that SARS-CoV-2 can live for 2-3 days on stainless steel and plastic.

  • It's worth noting that this study hasn't been peer-reviewed yet, which generally means

  • scientists take the results with a grain of salt.

  • But given the other studies, the results make sense.

  • And if the viruses can hang around for days, disinfecting surfaces regularly is especially

  • important.

  • You might think of going straight for the bleach, since it's usually considered a

  • pretty hardcore disinfectant.

  • And it's not a bad choicechlorine bleach is super effective at killing viruses.

  • Scientists aren't totally clear on how that works, but we know the super-reactive chlorine

  • in the bleach destroys microbes pretty thoroughly.

  • But some experts have noted it's not always the best choice.

  • It can damage surfaces like metals and clothing, and it might not be as effective outdoors.

  • Plus, the fumes can irritate the lining of your respiratory tract, which is not ideal

  • when you're trying to fight off a respiratory virus.

  • If you do opt for bleach, be sure to check the expiration date, because over time, bleach

  • actually breaks down and loses its potency.

  • You also, though, have other options.

  • Alcohol-based wipes are effective, too.

  • And so is hydrogen peroxide.

  • It produces super reactive charged particles known as free radicals, which are also great

  • at ripping apart those outer membranes we keep talking about.

  • So, even if masks probably won't help you, there are plenty of other tools in our collective

  • coronavirus-fighting arsenal.

  • And now that you know how they work, you can go ahead and put them to good use.

  • Stay safe!

  • And thanks for watching this episode of SciShow!

  • And especially to our patrons on Patreon, who help keep SciShow free for viewers like

  • you.

  • If you found this episode helpful and want to help support the team here, you can learn

  • more about joining our amazing patron community at Patreon.com/SciShow.

  • And let us know if you have any other questions about the new coronavirus in the comments!

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