Dry Taps? A Synthesis of Alternative “Wash” Methods in the Absence of Water and Sanitizers in the Prevention of Coronavirus in Low-Resource Settings

Abstract

Objective: Social distancing and hand washing with soap and water have been advocated as the main proactive measures against the spread of coronavirus. We sought to find out what other alternative materials and methods would be used among populations without running water and who may not afford alcohol-based sanitizers. Results: We reviewed studies that reported use of sand, soil, ash, soda ash, seawater, alkaline materials, and sunlight as possible alternatives to handwashing with soap and water. We identified the documented mechanism of actions of these alternative wash methods on both inanimate surfaces and at cellular levels. The consideration of use of these alternative locally available in situations of unavailability of soap and water and alcohol-based sanitizers is timely in the face of coronavirus pandemic. Further randomized studies need to be carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of these alternatives in management of SARS-Cov-2.

The impact of COVID-19 measures on children with disabilities and their families in Uganda

“…In our study, participants did not report this challenge, perhaps because very few people are actually seen to wear masks on the streets in Uganda, hence they may not have felt these were missing or barriers to communication. They did not report difficulties in having access to basic water and soap for hand washing, as reported in other African countries (Kivuti-Bitok et al 2020;Shigute et al 2020). They did however report some complacency four to five months into the outbreak.…”

Evaluation of potentiality of traditional hygienic practices for the mitigation of the 2019–2020 Corona Pandemic

“…It is crucial to find other materials that can be used for sanitization with reduced risk factors at a reasonable price and accessibility. Researchers still investigate the potential of sand, soil, ash, soda ash, seawater, alkaline materials, and sunlight as possible alternatives to hand‐washing with soap and water (Kivuti‐bitok et al., 2020). However, authorities need to conduct on‐site monitoring of hand sanitizer products to ensure the quality of on‐market products for the safety of consumers, which is necessary.…”

Narrative Review of Primary Preventive Interventions against Water-Borne Diseases: Scientific Evidence of Health-EDRM in Contexts with Inadequate Safe Drinking Water

“…Third, there is limited research on alternatives of preventive interventions for implementation in resource-poor or material-scarce settings. For example, the beneficial effect of handwashing with soap is consistent across various studies, but there is little evidence to support the use of alternatives, such as ash in communities where soap is not available [ 2 , 116 ]. The efficacy of such alternatives has been demonstrated in averting the transmission of droplet-borne and vector-borne, but not in waterborne diseases [ 112 , 113 ].…”