Hand sanitizers work for few mins

A survey suggests that more than half of all Americans think the antibacterial gel last a lot longer than it really does and the fact that hand sanitizers don't offer long-term protection may come as a shock to germiphobes.

"Alcohol sanitizers last only a minute or two and must be reapplied when recontamination occurs," the New York Daily News quoted Philip Tierno, director of clinical microbiology and immunology at NYU Langone Medical Center, as saying.