As the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues to spread worldwide, we also learn more about it each day. However, as some questions about the virus are answered, new question unravel along the way.
These questions concern even the simplest ways like how people wash their hands and disinfect clothes. And right now, concerns are rising about the possibility that one can bring home coronavirus through their shoes.
In a TV Show called Coronavirus: How Clean Is Your House? , a doctor and a virologist have been helping in educating the people on how they can control and stop bringing the virus from outside into their homes.
A&E doctor, Dr. Javid Abdelmoneim and virologist, Dr. Lisa Cross have been empowering families and guiding them through the TV show by gicing them helpful tips and easy to follow suggestions in order to keep homes sade from the deadly virus.
How coronavirus enters our homes through shoes.
According to the pair, whilst handwashing can eliminate the virus in our hands, it can still invade our homes in other ways.
In relation to this, they also warned people to make sure that they immediately take off their shoes when they get home and only use one pair of shoes to go outside. They also added that the virus may be able to survive on the material of some shoes which have non-porous rubbery soles.
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In addition, Mary E. Schmidt, an infectious diseases specialist told New York Post that SARS-CoV-2 can also survive on rubber and leather for as long as five days, and suggested that people going outside should wear machine-washable clothes to avoid bringing COVID-19 into their homes.
Futhermore, she also said that the virus can also survive longer on the upper part of the shoes depending on the material that it is made from. According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases the causative agent of COVID-19 is able to survive on lastic materials for 48 to 72 hours.
On top of this, back in 2008 a study conducted by microbiologists from the University of Arizona stated at least 421,000 bacteria, viruses and parasites live on a shoe sole on average. However, it was also stated that not all of these germs have pathogenic effects in our body and some may even influence our body to develop immunity.
How should I clean my work shoes?
Due to the warnings about the coronavirus being able to infiltrate out homes through our shoes, it is advised to keep them clean after going out.
According to Huffpost, it is advised to wipe the shoes with disinfecting cloths frequently especially after using them outside. It was also stated that if disinfectants are not available, one can also wash the shoes with warm water and soap.
Carol Winner, a public health expert also suggested that disinfectant sprays such as Lysol can also be used to inactivate viruses that may have stuck to the surfaces of the shoes. However, she also cautioned on using it on shoes made of natural material due to the fact that it may damage the shoe.
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