Had to have a long and fruitless conversation regarding this with a family member: “The CDC recommends using sanitizers (like Purell) that contain at least 60% alcohol, which are the same kind used in hospitals.
Alcohol is an antiseptic agent that kills most bacteria on external surfaces on contact, breaking down ALL OF the proteins that make up bacteria and some viruses. (Bleach works similarly, but is much more potent — don’t put that directly on your hands.)
Antibiotics, meanwhile, typically target specific aspects of bacteria, and don’t just work on external surfaces.
Instead of shattering down a door like a sledge hammer the way alcohol does, antibiotics are more like keys that fit into very specific keyholes: When they click together, the bacteria are destroyed.
Because alcohol attacks all proteins in the bacteria, not just one, the bacteria can’t develop resistance.”
So I get it - Bill Nye and Neil DeGrasse Tyson saying it is meaningless, because they are not pure biologists, the CDC is also probably viewed as scamming in this case as part of the big hand-sanitizer lobby, but ferchrissakes get the flu from a dirty door handle and tell me what you think at 104 degrees.
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