News Health & Medicine

Mucus prevents hand sanitizers from quickly killing the flu

Flu viruses can hold out for minutes against ethanol when encased in wet mucus

hand sanitizer

Alcohol-based hand sanitizers used in medical settings might not protect against spreading the flu when mucus is involved.

Galitskaya/iStock/Getty Images Plus

By Tina Hesman Saey

- More than 2 years ago

Sticky mucus may thwart alcohol-based hand sanitizers’ ability to fight the flu.

Flu viruses encased in mucus drops from infected people’s spit can withstand the alcohol in hand sanitizers for more than two minutes, researchers report September 18 in mSphere.