‘Safe to use sanitizer 2-3 times a day’

Q: I am a physiotherapist and want to restart my work. I make home visits for my patients. I plan to use a new pair of surgical gloves and triple-layer surgical mask for every new patient. Is this sufficient precaution for myself and my patients or should I do something else too? | Shubhanshu Srivastava
A: Make sure that the patient does not belong to a containment or hotspot area.If not, then besides using gloves and masks, use a hand sanitizer before and after treating a patient. Also disinfect or sanitize the equipment which you will be using.
Q: People say that sanitizer needs to be applied frequently to stay safe against coronavirus but I have heard that applying sanitizer frequently can lead to skin cancer. Is that true? | Divyanshu Srivastava
A: Alcohol-based sanitizers do not possess any harm of skin cancer. Ideally, if you are using an alcohol-based sanitizer, it lasts and is effective for 2-3 hours. If you do not touch many materials or are not going out, then you can use it up to three times a day.
Q: My wife and 2-year-old child are in Bihar. If they come to Lucknow, will they be quarantined or I can home-quarantine them? Neither has any symptoms of virus or flu. | Ajay Manjhi
A: If they are coming from a non-containment zone in Bihar, then they will be advised home quarantine for 14 days.
All questions answered by veteran virologist Prof TN Dhole, former head of microbiology at SGPGI.