A lot of people are worried in Vancouver and elsewhere because all the stores seem to have run out of supplies of hand sanitizers and disinfectant wipes just as the COVID-19 global pandemic has been officially announced by the World Health Organization.

Compounding those worries is the fact that no one seems to know when supplies will make it back onto the shelves.

And although there are a lot of home recipes on the Internet for hand-sanitizing lotions and such, experts are warning people not to bother, for several good reasons, and are reiterating the advice we've been hearing since the advent of the coronavirus outbreak: nothing beats a good (minimum 20 seconds), thorough hand-washing with soap and water.

If you consistently follow all the steps in the diagram below (supplied by the World Health Organization)—and make sure you wash your hands immediately upon entering indoors (whether a place of residence, work, schooling, worship, recreation, or eating) and before and after preparing or eating food, shopping, going to the washroom, and/or using public transportation of any kind—you will have greatly lowered your chances of becoming infected by the coronavirus or any other pathogen.

After washing, remember to thoroughly dry your hands with a single-use (usually disposable) hand towel, and use that same towel to turn off the faucet.