How to Produce a Hand Sanitizer?

Step by step direction to produce a Hand Sanitizer:

1. Turn all the required ingredients into a clean bowl. A bowl with a pouring spout is most recommended.

2. Mix with a turning stick to blend everything together.

3. Turn the mixture into an airtight bottle or an old sanitizer container, but remember to remove the original label from the container. You can then label it "My home-made hand sanitizer" or ignore labeling it.

A similar formula was also shared by Jagdish Khubchandani, Ph.D of Ball State University.

Find his composition below.

1. Ethanol or isopropyl alcohol (two parts) (91% to 99% alcohol).

2. Aloe vera gel (one part).

3. Clove / eucalyptus / peppermint
essential oil.

Ingredients to Prepare a Hand Sanitizer

Essential Ingredients to Prepare a Hand Sanitizer

Making a hand sanitizer at home does not require much, but just a few ingredients that can be sourced locally or online (e.g., Amazon).

The following ingredients can be used to produce a perfect hand sanitizer that can disinfect surfaces and kill most germs.

1. Alcohol (Isopropyl) (up to 99% alcohol volume).

2. Aloe vera gel.

3. Tea tree/lavender essential oil.

4. Lemon.

The minimum amount of alcohol needed to kill most germs is 60%, and this can only be achieved by mixing a 2:1 alcohol to Aloe vera ratio. This ratio would produce an effective, germ-killing sanitizer.

This is a recommendation coming from the Center for Disease Control (CDC). This material follows a standard recommendation by health practitioners on how to go about producing an effective hand sanitizer.

What to Do If You Are Sick With Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

What to Do If You Are Sick With Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

 If you develop a fever and symptoms of respiratory illness, such as cough or shortness of breath, within 14 days after travel from China, you should call ahead to a healthcare professional and mention your recent travel or close contact. If you have had close contact2 with someone showing these symptoms who has recently traveled from this area, you should call ahead to a healthcare professional and mention your close contact and their recent travel. Your healthcare professional will work with your state’s public health department and CDC to determine if you need to be tested for COVID-19.

 Steps to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 if you are sick

 If you are sick with COVID-19 or suspect you are infected with the virus that causes COVID-19, follow the steps below to help prevent the disease from spreading to people in your home and community.

 Stay home except to get medical care:

 You should restrict activities outside your home, except for getting medical care. Do not go to work, school, or public areas. Avoid using public transportation, ride-sharing, or taxis.

 Separate yourself from other people and animals in your home:

 People: As much as possible, you should stay in a specific room and away from other people in your home. Also, you should use a separate bathroom, if available.

 Animals: You should restrict contact with pets and other animals while you are sick with COVID-19, just like you would around other people. Although there have not been reports of pets or other animals becoming sick with COVID-19, it is still recommended that people sick with COVID-19 limit contact with animals until more information is known about the virus. When possible, have another member of your household care for your animals while you are sick. If you are sick with COVID-19, avoid contact with your pet, including petting, snuggling, being kissed or licked, and sharing food. If you must care for your pet or be around animals while you are sick, wash your hands before and after you interact with pets and wear a facemask.

 Call ahead before visiting your doctor:

 If you have a medical appointment, call the healthcare provider and tell them that you have or may have COVID-19. This will help the healthcare provider’s office take steps to keep other people from getting infected or exposed.

 Wear a facemask:

 You should wear a facemask when you are around other people (e.g., sharing a room or vehicle) or pets and before you enter a healthcare provider’s office. If you are not able to wear a facemask (for example, because it causes trouble breathing), then people who live with you should not stay in the same room with you, or they should wear a facemask if they enter your room.

 Cover your coughs and sneezes:

 Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw used tissues in a lined trash can; immediately wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains 60 to 95% alcohol, covering all surfaces of your hands and rubbing them together until they feel dry. Soap and water should be used preferentially if hands are visibly dirty.

 Clean your hands often:

 Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains 60 to 95% alcohol, covering all surfaces of your hands and rubbing them together until they feel dry. Soap and water should be used preferentially if hands are visibly dirty. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

 Avoid sharing personal household items:

 You should not share dishes, drinking glasses, cups, eating utensils, towels, or bedding with other people or pets in your home. After using these items, they should be washed thoroughly with soap and water.

 Clean all “high-touch” surfaces every day

High touch surfaces include counters, tabletops, doorknobs, bathroom fixtures, toilets, phones, keyboards, tablets, and bedside tables. Also, clean any surfaces that may have blood, stool, or body fluids on them. Use a household cleaning spray or wipe, according to the label instructions. Labels contain instructions for safe and effective use of the cleaning product including precautions you should take when applying the product, such as wearing gloves and making sure you have good ventilation during use of the product

How to get mentally prepared during the outbreak of COVID-19?

How to get mentally prepared during the outbreak of COVID-19?

 (1) Adjust your attitudes and view COVID-19 from a scientific perspective. During the early days of the outbreak, limited knowledge on the risks and prevention of COVID-19 might cause a sense of anxiety and panic among the public, which was exacerbated by rumors. Have confidence in the authoritative efforts for prevention and control and trust scientific research findings of the disease. Adjust your attitudes, act with caution and stay away from fear.

 (2) Acknowledge your anxiety and fear. Faced with an unknown epidemic, few people can stay calm. The increased number of confirmed cases would lead to the assumption that the new virus is present everywhere and is unpreventable, causing anxiety and fear. That is natural. Accept the status and avoid excessive self-blame for feeling such emotions.

 (3) Maintain a regular and healthy lifestyle: adequate sleep, a healthy balanced diet of diverse food groups, a regular work routine which may help distract ourselves from the epidemic, and a moderate exercise regimen.

 (4) Allow yourself to let off steam when you feel necessary. Occasional laughing, crying, shouting, exercising, singing, speaking, chatting, writing, or drawing can help release anger and anxiety, divert your attention, and calm down effectively. Watching TV or listening to music at home also helps to ease anxiety.

 (5) Relax and cope with your emotions. Relaxation techniques can help you release your negative emotions such as tension, depression, and anxiety. There are many ways of relaxation and the key to successful relaxation is to understand the basic principles of the techniques and practice.

 • Relaxation through visualization. Maintain a slow, steady and deep breath during the whole process, and feel warm energy flowing through your body with visualization.

 • Muscle relaxation. Relax your arms, head, trunk and legs successively. Keep the environment quiet, dim the light and minimize sensory stimuli. A simple five-step relaxation cycle consists of: focusing your attention → tensing your muscles → maintaining the tension → releasing the tension → relaxing your muscles.

 • Relaxation through deep breathing: this is the easiest way to relax that can be used in any situation where you feel nervous. Steps: stand up straight, put your shoulders down naturally, slightly close your eyes, and then inhale deeply and exhale slowly. It usually takes just a few minutes to feel relaxed.

 (6) Seek professional support. Seek counseling or medical treatment for unresolved tension, anxiety, fear, anger, sleep disorder, physical reactions, etc. On a different note, when a quarantined or suspected patient manifests extreme emotions and behaviors, prevention and control professionals should consider the possible onset of psychiatric disorders, and send the person in case to mental health institutions and personnel. Such extreme emotions and behaviors include: anxiety, depression, delusion, restlessness, uncontrollable and improper speech or actions, or even violent refusal or evasion of quarantine, and suicidal ideation

What lifestyle is recommended amid the outbreak of COVID-19?

What lifestyle is recommended amid the outbreak of COVID-19?

 (1) Eat high-protein foods daily including fish, meat, eggs, milk, legumes, and nuts, keep an adequate intake based on the daily diet. Do not eat wild animal meats.

 (2) Eat fresh fruits and vegetables every day, and increase the intake based on the daily diet.

 (3) Drink no less than 1500 mL of water per day.

 (4) Have a varied, diverse diet of different types, colors, and sources. Eat more than 20 kinds of food every day. Eat a balanced diet of animal- and plant-based foods.

 (5) Ensure enough intake of nutrition based on the regular diet.

 (6) Undernourished, elderly people and patients with chronic wasting diseases are recommended to supplement with commercial enteral nutrition solutions (foods for special medical purposes), and supplement no less than an extra 2100 kJ daily (500 kcal).

 (7) Do not fast or go on a diet during an epidemic of COVID-19.

 (8) Ensure regular rest and a minimum of 7 hours of sleep each day.

 (9) Start a personal exercise regimen with no less than 1 hour of exercise per day. Do not participate in group exercises.

 (10) During an epidemic of COVID-19, it is recommended to supplement with multi-vitamins, minerals, and deep-sea fish oi

What are the key moments for hand hygiene in daily life?

What are the key moments for hand hygiene in daily life to protect from Covid-19?

 (1) When you cover a cough or a sneeze with your hand.
 (2) After caring for a patient.
 (3) Before, during, and after preparing food.
 (4) Before eating.
 (5) After going to the toilet.
 (6) After touching animals.
 (7) After touching elevator buttons and door handles or knobs.
 (8) After coming home from outside.

What are the features of masks for different purposes?

 Major types of masks: N95/KN95 respirators, surgical face masks, and cotton face masks.

 N95/KN95 respirators can filter 95% of particles with an aerodynamic diameter greater than or equal to 0.3 μm, and block viruses. They can help prevent airborne diseases.

 Disposable surgical face masks have 3 layers. The outer layer is hydrophobic non-woven layer that prevents droplets from entering the mask; the middle layer has a filter to block 90% of particles with a diameter greater than 5μm; and the inner layer in contact with the nose and mouth absorbs moisture. They are typically for sterile medical operations and be used to prevent airborne diseases.

 Cotton face masks are heavy, stuffy, and do not fit closely to the face, and thus not effective against viruses

What are the clinical criteria for quarantine release and discharge?

(1) The condition of the patient is stable and fever has subsided.

 (2) Lung imaging shows a significant improvement with no sign of organ dysfunction.

 (3) The patient has had stable breathing, clear consciousness, unimpaired speech, normal diet and body temperature for more than 3 days. Respiratory symptoms have improved significantly, and two consecutive tests for respiratory pathogenic nucleic acid have been negative (at least one day in-between tests).

How to treat COVID-19?

How to treat COVID-19?

 (1) Put patients to bed rest, provide with supportive care, maintain good hydration and electrolyte balance, internal homeostatis, and closely monitor vital signs and oxygen saturation.

 (2) Monitor routine blood and urine test results, C-reactive protein (CRP), biochemical indicators (liver enzyme, myocardial enzyme, renal function, etc.), and coagulation function accordingly. Perform an arterial blood gas analysis when needed, and regularly review chest X-ray images.

 (3) According to the changes in oxygen saturation, provide timely effective oxygen therapy, including nasal catheter, oxygen mask, transnasal high-flow oxygen therapy, and noninvasive or invasive mechanical ventilation, etc.

 (4) Antiviral therapy: There are currently no antiviral drugs with good efficacy.

 (5) Apply antibacterial drug treatment: strengthen bacteriological monitoring, and start antibacterial treatment when there is evidence of secondary bacterial infect


How to choose a medical institution for treatment?

Isolation and treatment should be performed in a hospital with proper conditions for isolation and protection. Critical cases should be admitted to an ICU as soon as possible.

Are there any drugs or vaccines against COVID-19?

 At present, there are no specific antiviral treatments against COVID-19. Patients generally receive supportive care to relieve symptoms. Avoid irresponsible or inappropriate antimicrobial treatment, especially in combination with broad-spectrum antimicrobials.
 There is currently no vaccine against the new disease. Developing a new vaccine may take a whil

What is the difference between COVID-19 and other pneumonia?

(1) Bacterial pneumonia. Common symptoms include coughing, coughing up sputum, or exacerbation of the original respiratory symptoms, with purulent or bloody sputum, with or without chest pain. It is generally not considered a contagious disease.

 (2) SARS/MERS. Although the novel coronavirus is in the same family as SARS and MERS coronaviruses, a genetic evolution analysis shows that it belongs to a different branch of the same subgroup. It is neither a SARS nor a MERS virus, based on the viral genomic sequences. Due to the similarities between COVID-19-and SARS/MERS-caused pneumonia, it is challenging to distinguish them with clinical manifestations and imaging results. Therefore, a pathogen identification test by rRT-PCR is needed.

 (3) Other viral pneumonia. Pneumonia caused by influenza virus, rhinovirus, adenovirus, human metapneumovirus, respiratory syncytial virus and other coronaviruses.

New story in Health from Time: Limited Access to Clean Water Among India’s Poor Spawns Coronavirus Concerns

(NEW DELHI) — Dharam Singh Rajput can’t afford to buy hand sanitizer, which could help ward off transmission of the coronavirus in his community.
The Rajput family could opt for something more basic — soap and water — to achieve hand hygiene. But sometimes there is no clean running water in their neighborhood, which sits next to open sewage canals and mounds of garbage in the heart of New Delhi, India’s capital. “The kind of water we have access to has the potential to cause more diseases instead of warding off the virus if we use it to wash our hands,” Rajput said.

Experts say keeping hands clean is one of the easiest and best ways to prevent transmission of the new coronavirus, in addition to social distancing. But for India’s homeless and urban poor who live in thousands of slums across major cities and towns, maintaining good hygiene can be nearly impossible.
About 160 million — more than the population of Russia — of India’s 1.3 billion people don’t have access to clean water. That could leave impoverished Indians like Rajput and his family at risk during the virus outbreak.
Read more: India Is the World’s Second-Most Populous Country. Can It Handle the Coronavirus Outbreak?
“It could prove disastrous for people who don’t have access to clean water,” said Samrat Basak, the director of the World Resource Institute’s Urban Water Program in India. With India being the world’s second-most populous country, and having weak health care facilities and growing concerns that there may be an undetected communal spread of the virus, the risks associated with the lack of clean water aren’t being overstated. UNICEF said last week that almost 20% of urban Indians do not have facilities with water and soap at home.
What could make things worse, experts say, is that social distancing is nearly impossible in many Indian cities that are among the world’s most densely populated areas. So far, the government has apparently been able to keep a lid on community transmission of the virus. Authorities have confirmed 147 cases and three deaths, all linked to foreign travel or direct contact with someone who caught the disease abroad.
While the coronavirus can be deadly, particularly for the elderly and people with other health problems, for most people it causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. Some feel no symptoms at all and the vast majority of people recover.
India’s government has made fervent appeals to the public to practice social distancing and good hand hygiene. India also was one of the first countries to essentially shut its borders and deny entry to all but a select few foreigners. But in a country as big as India, community transmission is all but inevitable, experts say.
“Clean water is the first line of defense,” said V.K. Madhavan, India chief executive at WaterAid, a global advocacy group for water and sanitation. “If there is no access to clean water, the situation could worsen.”
Read more: Mapping the Spread of the Coronavirus Outbreak Around the U.S. and the World
India’s clean water problem isn’t new. Hundreds of thousands of people wait in line every day to fill buckets from government water trucks. Hospitals and schools struggle with clean water supplies. People are forced to wash utensils and clothes in dirty water.
About 600 million Indians face acute water shortages, according to government think tank NITI Aayog.
The water crisis hits the poor particularly hard since wealthy people can pay for water from private sources that those living in slums can’t afford. The mortality rate due to inadequate or unsafe water is also high. About 200,000 people die each year in India from diseases related to unclean water. Insufficient water also leads to food insecurity.
“When clean drinking water runs out, people will have no choice but to rely on unsafe water,” said Dr. Anant Bhan, a global health researcher. “It could expose India’s huge population to extreme vulnerability.”
Government promises to provide clean water to many Indians have so far failed despite efforts by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that have been internationally lauded.
“Access to clean water is a basic human right,” said Madhavan. “No one should fear losing their life because they couldn’t practice the first line of defense, which is hand washing.”

About Human Coronavirus: History, Symptoms and Treatment

What is Coronavirus?

Coronaviruses are a group of viruses that cause diseases in mammals, including humans, and birds. In humans, the virus causes respiratory infections which are typically mild but, in rare cases, can be lethal. In cows and pigs, they may cause diarrhea, while in chickens it can cause an upper respiratory disease. There are no vaccines or antiviral drugs that are approved for prevention or treatment.

History of Coronavirus 

Coronaviruses were discovered in the 1960s; the earliest ones discovered were infectious bronchitis virus in chickens and two viruses from the nasal cavities of human patients with the common cold that were subsequently named human coronavirus 229E and human coronavirus OC43.


On 31 December 2019, a novel strain of coronavirus, officially designated as 2019-nCoV by the World Health Organization, was reported in Wuhan, China, as responsible for the 2019–20 Wuhan coronavirus outbreak. By 24 January 2020, 25 deaths have been reported and 547 confirmed cases.

Types of Coronavirus?

Coronaviruses are named for the crown-like spikes on their surface. There are four main sub-groupings of coronaviruses, known as alpha, beta, gamma, and delta.

1. 229E (alpha coronavirus)
2. NL63 (alpha coronavirus)
3. OC43 (beta coronavirus)
4. HKU1 (beta coronavirus)

What causes coronavirus in humans?

The symptoms of most coronaviruses are similar to any other upper respiratory infection, including runny nose, coughing, sore throat, and sometimes a fever. 

How is coronavirus diagnosed?

Laboratory tests on respiratory specimens and serum (part of your blood) to detect human coronaviruses. 

Symptoms of Coronavirus?

Common human coronaviruses, including types 229E, NL63, OC43, and HKU1, usually cause mild to moderate upper-respiratory tract illnesses, like the common cold. Most people get infected with these viruses at some point in their lives. These illnesses usually only last for a short amount of time. Symptoms may include

• runny nose
• headache
• cough
• sore throat
• fever

Transmission of Coronavirus? 

Human coronaviruses most commonly spread from an infected person to others through

the air by coughing and sneezing close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands touching an object or surface with the virus on it, then touching your mouth, nose, or eyes before washing your hands rarely, fecal contamination

Treatment and Vaccine for coronavirus?

There are no specific treatments for illnesses caused by human coronaviruses. Most people with common human coronavirus illness will recover on their own. However, you can do some things to relieve your symptoms