No disinfection of wounds with potato shochu. Then whiskey? Is alcohol disinfection correct in the first place? In China, it seems to have started using COVID-19.

Access to this page is increasing rapidly around the end of January, 2020.
Perhaps it is related to The Wuhan virus, so I will add it.Following the WHO, this virus is referred to as COVID-19.

Is Shochu a COVID-19 Countermeasure in China?

A quick conclusion: Shochu is not a measure against the
COVID-19 .

Shochu, whiskey and vodka seem to be running low in China, where not only masks but also rubbing alcohol are in short supply.

Probably will be used for disinfection. Maybe he is serious.

The details are explained in the article, but not only shochu but also drinking alcohol in general has an overwhelmingly low alcohol concentration.

Alcohol disinfection has been cited as one of the most effective products for COVID-19.
The efficacy of benzalkonium chloride is unknown.

The following is the original article.

加藤大輝が焼酎吹きかけて逮捕-成人式に酒持ち込み注意-豊田市｜ニュース速報24 https://t.co/YKHo7T4Qdp pic.twitter.com/yugUdmhZ6e

— ニュース速報24 (@news24_jp) 2016年1月11日

Spray shochu into the wound with mouth!

You may have seen it in historical dramas and Japanese dramas.

Shochu that contains the whole mouth is sprayed into the wound in the form of a mist from the mouth!

“This is okay!”

Is it really okay?

What is alcohol

Alcohol is included in all sake, including shochu.

Chemically, alcohol is the replacement of hydrocarbon hydrogen atoms with OH groups.

It is like this when written in chemical structural formula.
From left, they are called methanol, primary alcohol, secondary alcohol, and tertiary alcohol.

These are all related to alcohol, but the commonly used “alcohol” means “ethanol” which belongs to the second primary alcohol from the left.

The effect of disinfection is?

It is widely known that ethanol has a disinfecting effect.

Alcohol has a notation of alcohol content, which indicates the strength of the alcohol.
Did you know that ethanol used for disinfection also has a concentration notation?

Ethanol for disinfection is defined as containing 76.9 to 81.4%, ethanol for 95.1 to 96.9%, and absolute ethanol containing more than 99.5% ethanol. By the way, the rest is water up to 100%.

Especially for ethanol for disinfection, the disinfection effect cannot be obtained unless the concentration is within this range.

Postscript
With about 40% alcohol, disinfection can be expected by prolonged contact exceeding 1 hour. However, exposure of the skin and mucous membranes to such high concentrations of alcohol can be quite stressful, making it impractical for human use.

Does Shochu sprayed from the mouth have a disinfecting effect?

As an introduction, there is a difference in expression depending on the product, and the alcohol content is the concentration percentage.

Shochu, which is generally distributed in Japan, has a concentration of 25-30%.
There is at most 60% of awamori, but it is far from 76.9-81.4% for disinfection

This shows that 35 degrees potato shochu has no disinfecting effect.
There is no effect even if it is not potato shochu.

In addition, by interposing the act involving the mouth, various bacteria in the oral cavity may enter the wound, which has only a negative effect on the wound.

Is there any alcohol that can be used for disinfection?

I tried to find alcohol with an alcohol concentration of 76.9 to 81.4%.

The first is an Italian liquor called Caronie Old Vintage Rum at 77 degrees.
The second is Austrian liquor called 80-degree straw 80 original.

In Japan, Dover Spirits 88 is 88% liquor, and Spiritus, famous for having the highest frequency, has a very high concentration of alcohol at 96%. No effect can be expected.

Can alcohol be used on the wound in the first place?

Not only alcohol but also disinfecting wounds has been thought to have a disinfecting effect.

However, there is something that has come to light recently.
At the wound, the cells repeatedly work on cell division to close the wound. When a disinfectant is applied there, cells without any barriers will die like any other bacteria.
The bleeding pain when disinfecting alcohol is applied to the wound appears to be a dead cell.

In other words, it has been found that applying a disinfectant to the wound slows the healing of the wound and does not repair it cleanly.

Is it Right to Use Shochu for Disinfection?

Shochu had no disinfecting effect, and spraying from the mouth seemed to be more like harassment to promote infection.

Some high-concentration alcohol can be expected to have a disinfecting effect, but it is not realistic considering the trouble of obtaining it.