Looking back four years, the COVID-19 pandemic caught us unexpectedly, triggering a global crisis and profound changes in public health.[1] Some of the resulting changes to our health and aged care systems could be seen as positive.
At that time, governments, scientists, politicians and public figures around the world almost “frentically” urged not only the general public but also frontline healthcare workers to practice proper hand hygiene as one of the most important and effective preventive measures against the spread of infections.[1]
Calls for stricter hand hygiene measures have led to an unprecedented increase in demand for hand sanitizers, including alcohol-based hand sanitizers (ABHS).[2,3] In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) and other relevant health authorities responsible for promoting health worldwide have strongly recommended the use of hand sanitizers as a highly effective hand hygiene practice due to their ease of use and effectiveness in reducing the number of microbes on the hands and independence from soap and Water that is not always accessible.[2-4] This means that ABHS have become and are an indispensable companion for hand hygiene.
Now, four years later, we are seeing changes in our health and aged care systems, which include the use of ABHS at the point of care and stricter protocols in health and aged care to prevent outbreaks in vulnerable people.[5,6]
Aqium® hand sanitizer[7] are a reliable and practical choice for maintaining hand hygiene. The new TGA registered moisturizing antibacterial Aqium hand gel (Aust R 410937) contains 70% w/w ethanol (absolute) and four moisturizers including glycerin and panthenol. It is clinically proven to kill germs without affecting skin moisture, pH or barrier integrity with repeated use.[8]
Aqium Moisturizing Antibacterial Hand Gel is the latest hand hygiene product from Ego Pharmaceuticals. Ego Pharmaceuticals, an Australian manufacturer of cosmetic and therapeutic skin care products based in Melbourne[9] Aqium makes hand sanitizer[7] since 2000, creating a market for hand sanitiser in Australia. Amid the COVID-19 outbreak, Ego streamlined its operations to produce large quantities of Aqium hand sanitizer[7] without compromise on quality, effectiveness and safety.
“With support from the Australian Federal Government and the Victorian State Government, Ego Pharmaceuticals increased its production of disinfectant products and hired more staff to ensure 24/7 production. We produced five times the amount of Aqium hand sanitizer than predicted. As of May 2020, 70% of Aqium hand sanitizer produced was used for the hospital and elderly care sector, with the remainder for pharmaceuticals,” said Alan Oppenheim, CEO of Ego.
Ego’s rapid response in 2020-21 and willingness to adapt to rapid changes have reinforced the values the company stands for – the quality, integrity and safety of products, commitment to science and innovation and focus dedicated to helping people restore and maintain skin health.[10]
“The launch of Aqium moisturizing antibacterial hand gel demonstrates our desire to meet the needs of healthcare and elderly care professionals and help them maintain skin health,” added Mr. Oppenheim.
To request a sample pack of Aqium Moisturizing Gel » click here
References
1. Alzood M, Jackson D, Aveyard H, Brooke J. COVID-19 highlights the importance of handwashing. J clinical nurses. 2020;29(15-16):2760–2761.
2. Singh D, Joshi K, Samuel A, Patra J, Mahindroo N. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers as the first line of defense against SARS-CoV-2: a review of biology, chemistry and formulations. Epidemiol infection. 2020;148:e229.
3. Vuppu S, Mishra T, Chinamgari A. Use of hand sanitizers in COVID-19 prevention: A comprehensive review. Pharmacoepidemiology. 2023;2(3):257–271.
4. Abuga K, Nyamweya N. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers in COVID-19 prevention: A multidimensional perspective. Pharmacy. 2021;9(1):64.
5. Tropea J, Peters S, Francis JJ, Bennett N, Fetherstonhaugh D, Buising K, Lim LL, Marshall C, Flynn M, Murray M, Yates P, Aboltins C, Johnson D, Kwong J, Long K, McCahon J, Lim WK. IMPLEMENTATION of Effective Infection Prevention and Control in Residential Elderly Care (IMMERSE): Protocol for a multi-stage, mixed-methods implementation study. BMC Geriatr. 2023;23(1):109.
6. National Health Medical Research Council – Australian Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Infections in Healthcare Settings 2019 [Internet]. Available at: https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-10/australian-guidelines-for-the-prevention-and-control-of-infection-in-healthcare.pdf. (quoted on April 2, 2024).
7. Aqium [Internet]. Available at: https://www.aqium.com.au/. (quoted March 18, 2024).
8. Ego Pharmaceuticals. Commissioned external study. Average increase in skin moisture (Corneometer), average change in TEWL (Tewameter), average change in pH (Skin pH Meter) over 14 days with Aqium Moisturizing Antibacterial Hand Gel, 20 ± 2 applications per day. Assessments by doctors and participants. n=33. 2023.
9. Ego Pharmaceuticals [Internet]. Available at: https://www.egopharm.com/au/en.html. (quoted March 18, 2024).
10. Ego Pharmaceuticals – our destination [Internet]. Available at: https://www.egopharm.com/au/en/about-us/values.html. (quoted March 18, 2024).