Sanitisers get priority over South Korea's soju drink in virus crisis

Vehicles carrying ethanol which is originally an ingredient for South Korean liquor Soju and will be used as disinfectant arrive in Daegu, South Korea, March 2, 2020. Picture taken March 2, 2020. Daesun Distilling/Handout via REUTERS

SEOUL (Reuters) - Makers of soju, South Korea's national drink and one of the world's best selling spirits, are jumping into the fight on the largest outbreak of coronavirus outside China by sharing their stockpiles of alcohol with makers of sanitisers.

Disinfectants, such as hand sanitisers, are flying off the shelves, along with medical-grade masks, as infections in South Korea have surged past 5,000 in just over a month since its first patient was diagnosed.