People on Ebay are selling hand sanitiser for £1000 as shops rapidly sell out

As more than 83 Coronavirus cases have been confirmed around the UK, Ebay retailers are selling hand sanitiser for 750% MORE than it was before the outbreak.

It was announced today that hand sanitiser sales are being limited at pharmacy chains as fears over the Coronavirus have increased demand.

https://twitter.com/Afrinaturality/status/1234463570567581696

Boots and LloydsPharmacy will restrict the products to two per person as the product is set to continuously sell across the country.

This comes following the government released a public information campaign urging people to wash their hands for at least 20 seconds with antibacterial soap or hand sanitiser, as a way to prevent Coronavirus.

EMBARGOED TO 0001 WEDNESDAY 4 MARCH 2020 Coronavirus: Wash hands for 20 seconds, urges Health Secretary in expanded public information campaign Washing hands for 20 seconds is at the heart of an expanded public awareness campaign in the fight against COVID-19, launched by the Health Secretary today. The next phase of the campaign reinforces the importance of washing your hands more often - when you come in from home or work, after you blow your nose, cough or sneeze, and before you eat or handle food. This should be for 20 seconds, using soap and water or hand sanitiser. You should cough or sneeze into tissues before binning them to also prevent the spread of the virus. The campaign has been brought forward in response to the current global situation. It offers clear, practical advice so the public can play their part in preventing and slowing the spread of the virus. New content will now be rolled out across print, radio, online and out of home, including billboards.

As fears continue to grow in the UK, it seems people are trying to cash in on Ebay – by selling the product for a staggering £1000 in the hope desperate Brits will pay the price.

It seems hand sanitiser isn’t the only item Brits are panic buying, either, as toilet roll sales have also seen a surge as people begin to stock-pile ahead of an emergency.

Alongside hand sanitiser, Woolworths will limit the purchase toilet roll in the coming weeks, as suppliers fear an upcoming shortage

Woolworths will limit purchases of hand sanitiser to two per person and sell the product from behind the service desk, a space usually reserved for cigarettes and mobile phones, in order to limit the virus-induced flurry.https://t.co/8X59QEKw5L
— The Age (@theage) March 4, 2020

Despite this, the Government announced there is “no need” to bulk buy the items in light of current events, and that maintaining careful handwashing habits with soap and water is adequate.

According to the NHS, you should wash your hands for the amount of time it takes to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ twice.

This is also the main advice from Public Health England who suggest washing hands with alcohol-based hand sanitisers – containing at least 60% alcohol – if soap and water aren’t available, for example, whilst travelling.

In 2019, the American Society for Microbiology, published a study revealing that using running water and soap to wash your hands is more effective than applying a blob of hand sanitiser which has not been properly rubbed in.