Why is Hand Hygiene important?
Given that 80% of all infections are transmitted by hands, hand sanitizers serve as an essential front line defense to prevent the spread of contagious diseases. Since its inception in 1966 in medical settings such as hospitals and healthcare facilities before being popularized in the 90s as a consumer product, the demand for hand sanitizer has been growing.
The global outbreak of Coronavirus has spurred purchasing frenzy of anti-bacterial products, especially hand sanitizers.
With no vaccines available yet, and little known about the virus causing the Covid-19 disease except that regular hand washing reduces its impact, members of the public have been urged to take preventive measures to protect themselves against contracting the deadly Covid-19 virus, standard recommendations include frequent cleaning of hands with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand rub. In the absence of handwashing facilities, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended using hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol concentration. This high concentration is critical because alcohol acts as a “denaturing agent” that kills or inactivates viruses.
Increasing awareness about hand hygiene amid the Covid-19 outbreak has catapulted the demand for alcohol-based hand sanitizers. Evidently, Covid-19 health crisis has caused a shift in consumer behavior that begins to adapt to the next normal.
Under Covid-19’s strong impact, people are spending more and more on hand sanitizer, with hand sanitizer inventory being at an all-time low across various retailers in many countries all over the world, both in supermarkets and pharmacies as well as on e-commerce platforms, often at inflated prices due to the shortage of supply worldwide. Due to Covid-19 pandemic, the global market is expected to observe a year-on-year spike rise of over 244% in 2020 over 2019.
The growing acceptance of frequent use of hand sanitizer is a new reality in the pandemic era.
In the wake of Covid-19 pandemic, travel sized hand sanitizer is favored by consumers, as it allows for it to be carried easily anywhere and everywhere for on-the-go protection against harmful bacteria and germs.
Even after the threat of the Covid-19 virus dissipates, it is highly likely that new habits formed now will remain post-pandemic. Changing lifestyle trends and consumer’s increasing inclination towards health and wellness coupled with online advertisements are anticipated to boost market growth for hand sanitizer in years to come.
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