‘Does soap work against viruses? Most definitely yes’: Professor uses bowl of oil and pepper to demonstrate the importance of washing hands amid coronavirus crisis
- Prof Lucy Rogers from Brunel University, London, did demonstration on TikTok
- She used pepper to represent the virus and oil as the fat holding virus together
- When hands were lathered in soap, the ‘virus’ is repelled away from the finger
- Coronavirus has infected 120,000 people and killed more than 5,000 worldwide
- Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?
A professor has demonstrated the importance of hand washing using a bowl of oil, water and pepper amid the coronavirus crisis.
Professor Lucy Rogers from Brunel University, London, used pepper to represent a virus and oil as the fat holding it together.
When her hands were lathered in soap, the ‘virus’ is repelled away from her finger proving that washing your hands leaves them significantly more virus free.
Professor Lucy Rogers from Brunel University, London, used pepper to represent a virus and oil as the fat holding it together
In the clip – shared to social media app TikTok – Professor Rogers first asks: ‘Soap is such an ordinary, everyday thing.
‘Does it really work on viruses? Well, the answer is most definitely yes. Let me demonstrate.’
She then shows a white bowl and begins to explain her experiment.
She says: ‘In this bowl I have mixed some pepper, some oil and some water.
‘Now the pepper represents a virus, the oil is the fat that holds the virus together and the water is just, water.
‘Now if I just put my finger into the mixture, nothing much happens.
In the clip – shared to social media app TikTok – Professor Rogers (pictured left) first asks: ‘Soap is such an ordinary, everyday thing. ‘Does it really work on viruses? Well, the answer is most definitely yes. Let me demonstrate’
The video’s caption explains that the soap breaks down the fat and the virus falls apart
When she places her finger in the mixture, the black specks barely move, instead remaining steadily around her finger.
She goes on to add: ‘Now if I put soap on my hands, get my hands all soapy. And then I put my soapy finger in, all the pepper – or the virus – runs away.’
The video’s caption explains that the soap breaks down the fat and the virus falls apart.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s coronavirus battle plan told how singing ‘happy birthday’ while washing hands with soap and water can be helpful in helping to stave off the quickly spreading virus.
Now, the government is recommending anyone with a persistent cough or a fever should stay at home and self-isolate for seven days.
Scotland today recorded its first coronavirus death as the number of victims in the UK rose to 11 and the infection toll soared to 798 after Britain saw another record amount of daily cases.
More than 200 more patients were diagnosed with the killer infection in the past 24 hours, with Scotland now having 85 cases, Wales 35 and Northern Ireland 29. The rest are in England.