It is no accident that the regular washing of our hands with soap, along with social distancing and mask wearing, are our best weapons for preventing the spread of the virus.
The fatty outside protein layer of SARS-CoV2 acts like a bag to protect the RNA which allows it to multiply.
When we wash our hands with soap, the soap contains molecules called surfactants which have two ends. One dissolves really well in fats while the other dissolves really well in water.
When the surfactants in the soap meet with the outside layer of the Sars-Covid 2, they dissolve it and tear it apart and kill the virus.
All soaps contain these surfactants. Initially when the Covid-19 first began to spread, it was quite noticeable that women made up only 40 per cent of the victims compared to 60 per cent of men. This was attributed to women’s far greater attention to washing their hands with soap on a more regular basis than men.
Gary Hollis, Mellons Bay
