: Herpes: would prophylaxis H202 3% or alchol 70% decrease risk of infection from exposure? If someone was to kiss someone else with herpes, would approximately 3% H2O2 or 70% alcohol offer a proven risk reduction immediately

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Both alcohols, ethyl and isopropyl, can kill several bacteria in 10 seconds or fewer in the lab, including Staph aureus, Strep pyogenes, E. coli, Salmonella typhosa, and Pseudomonas species, some of the bad actors in infections. For M. tuberculosis, it may take as long as five minutes of contact.  Many, but not all, viruses are goners, too, like HIV, hepatitis B, herpes, influenza, etc. Even some systemic bad fungal infections are susceptible, but again not all. But kissing means you put the virus into the mucose of the Respiratory and GI tract, rubbing the alcohol wont help the disease transmission.

Some references:
- This study is addressing the effectiveness of alcohol.
- This PDF