Didier Pittet, ovvero colui che ha inventato la soluzione idroalcolica per disinfettarsi le mani, avrebbe potuto diventare milionario. Il ginevrino, a suo tempo, aveva però deciso di donare generosamente la formula all'Organizzazione mondiale della sanità, invece di depositare un brevetto.
In compenso Pittet ha girato il mondo, salvato milioni di persone, ricevuto onori e riconoscimenti, compresa una candidatura al Nobel per la pace nel 2012. Alcuni vorrebbero che il premio gli fosse attribuito ora che il gel disinfettante si è rivelato basilare nel contenimento della pandemia di coronavirus. Ma il 63enne ha smorzato gli animi: "Qualcuno ne parla, ma non bisogna montarsi la testa".
All'inizio del nuovo millennio, un'indagine all'ospedale di Ginevra dimostrò che usando la soluzione di Pittet le infezioni diminuiscono del 50%. L'OMS decise quindi di adottarla e promuoverla facendo del ginevrino un vero e proprio ambasciatore in tutto il mondo.
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