eBay users are listing hand sanitiser gel for hugely inflated prices amid recent coronavirus outbreak news. The number of UK cases is spiking, causing fear among the population.
Britons are being encouraged to use sanitisers with more than 60 percent alcohol.
There are currently fears of a hand sanitiser shortage.
Pictures obtained by Express.co.uk show shops cleared out of any hand cleaning sanitiser.
This website understands Boots, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Waitrose and SuperDrug are all suffering from shortages.
Members of the public have criticised the lack of supply.
Could using hand sanitiser increase the risk of coronavirus?
Health bodies such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) have urged citizens to maintain good hygiene practices amid the outbreak. Because the new illness is a respiratory infection, it is believed to spread in cough droplets.
One of the key protective measures is to wash your hands with soap and water often, and use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available.
However, speaking to Kyodo News, a spokesperson for chemical products company Kao Corporation suggests using hand sanitiser comes with a key caveat – overusing it may increase your risk of infection.
As the spokesperson explained, excessively using alcohol-based hand sanitisers could remove ‘normal bacterial flora’ that coat the skin and fend off pathogens.