COVID-19: Use of alcohol-based sanitiser harmful to fingerprints – Leaked memo

A medical report has disclosed that the excessive use of alcohol-based sanitisers wipes fingerprints.

This means that the use of alcohol-based in its excesses or frequently used could cause abrasion of the upper layer of the skin, thereby leading to non-recognition by the biometric machines.

In a memo addressed to the Honourable Minister of Health by the Office of the Secretary (SGF) to the Government of the Federation, which was leaked to CAPITAL POST on Tuesday, warned against the excessive and frequent use of alcohol based hand sanitizer against COVID-19.

The memo reference No. 749/X/826 dated 10th March, 2021, which was copied the Inspector General of Police and the Director General of National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), revealed that the medical research was carried out by an Indian Dematologist, Dr. Anshul Warman on 18th February, 2021.

Part of the memo reads:

“I wish to draw your attention to a report which disclosed that an Indian Dematologist, Dr. Anshul Warman on 18th February, 2021 in Ahmedabad warned that frequent use of hand sanitizers and other alcohol-based sanitizers can cause abrasion of the skin’s upper layer (epidermis).

“This could prevent a clear fingerprint recognition/registration by biometric machines as observed from the reported cases from banks and other medical college staff, whose fingerprints couldn’t be recognised by the biometric attendance machines in their offices.

Meanwhile, the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers is one of the COVID-19 protocol to be observed.

CAPITAL POST reports that alcohol-based sanitizer was being used frequently and even being carried about by top government officials and the upper class in the society.