Question:
Ok, I checked out on some information and like to share with you, correct me if you have more exact idea...
Herpes is a DNA virus in a double form, covered by "envelope" coatings. Once it get into cell, the coating relieves the DNA out to start replicate. There are two types of replication, 1, LAT, latent, without kill the host cell, accumulate virus in cell. Asymptometic to the eye but may have nerve pain; 2, Lytic, much faster and cause the cell death which gives symptoms.
There are two ways of virus release from cell, one is cell abrupture, inflamation, blister, lesion; two is through the cell membrane, which you can tell is much less and slower.
Ethanol at 70% concentration have the strongest ability to kill bacteria, fungi, and most virus. It kills herpes doublets by "dissolving" them or the protective coating of them.

Our skin top layer consists of epidermi and dermi. Epidermi again consists of two layers of protective cell constructions. Dermi layer has sweat glands, nerve endsing, but doesn't have blood vessels. My understanding is, the herpes infection happens in dermi layer where the nerves ends are. And personally I think the virus doesn't go hide in our spine nerves.

The epidermi protect both ways, from inside out and outside in. Virus can exist in liquid, body liquids and can also free float in water.

I guess my point is, ethanol has the ability to kill herpes virus. But it has limited penetration into skin, and concentration dilutes down after you apply. So can't kill virus that in our cells under skin. And it is not known that how long it takes to kill them. If you immediately clean thoroghly with ethanol after possible contact of virus, it should help.

This is not a scientific research, just based my personal readings and experience from my about one year observation of ten times of obs, which is starting to get under control.
I hope more of us read into this type of information and share with everyone.

Thanks.

Answer:
a few things, where did you get this info?

a) when they test to see what substances kill virus, they test it directly via- petri dish. bleach also kills the herpes virus but you dont see people bathing in it.
b) please pinch your skin. did you feel that? thats your nerves telling your brain that it hurt. also the dermis does contain blood vessels.

the thing with substances, if you apply it to the site of the outbreak, when you have the outbreak, you kill a X amount of the virus, thus, less virus goes back into your system.