The Stray Ferret has witnessed panic buying of handwash and related products across the Harrogate district as the coronavirus emergency deepens. 

There has been a rush on chemists and supermarkets from people anxious to stock up on all types and sizes of alcohol-based hand sanitisers, anti-bacterial gels and wipes. 

ASDA in Harrogate reported on Monday that it had completely sold out of hand hygiene products for the time being, while the Boots Chemist located within Jennyfield Co-op, did not know when it would be getting any more in.  

Supplies at the Boots in Cambridge Street, Harrogate, are being snapped up as soon as they are put out on the shelves and the company has announced a two-bottle per customer limit on purchases made. 

At ALDI, which has stores in Ripon and Harrogate, bosses at head office also instructed counter staff to limit customers to two bottles apiece. 

  

It has emerged that only alcohol-based products will kill off the coronavirus, as Chris Jones, managing director of manufacturer Delf UK told BBC Radio this morning (Wednesday) that the virus has a fatty outer layer that is broken down by sanitisers with a 60 percent to 80 percent alcohol content. 

Mr Jones’s company has experienced a ten-fold increase in orders over the past month. 

Demand for cleansers in the Harrogate district and across the UK, continues to increase as the government, NHS and World Health Organisation are urging everyone to keep their hands germ-free. 

The area of shelves at Sainbury’s Ripon where handwash and cleansing wipes are usually available, had been cleaned out this morning (Wednesday) and across the city, the same applied at Morrison’s. 

The message from all retailers is that they will have further handwash and cleansing wipes available as soon as possible, but are reliant on suppliers on the timing and while ever demand outstrips supply, customers are likely to remain restricted to the number of bottles or packs that they can purchase.  

The need to keep hands germ-free is emphasised by a report from specialist hygiene services company Ideal, which says that 80 percent of infections are transmitted through touch. The report also points out that one in six people admit to not washing their hands after they go to the toilet. 

Protective masks are also in short supply and John Alder, owner and managing director of Office Ally, in Ripon, which supplies thousands of products to business customers, says: “we are currently unable to source masks from any of our suppliers, but the principal demand among our customers is for hand sanitisers and in obtaining those we are facing the same rationing being experienced by the general public when they go to the shops.”