Since the coronavirus outbreak, scientists all over the world are tirelessly researching and studying about the virus. Every week, the public learns something new about COVID-19. Recently, the CDC confirmed that the virus can live on surfaces for up to nine days and it can survive in the air for three hours.
It is also known that the virus particles are shed through fluids coughed up from the lungs, through saliva, and through feces. This is the reason why the CDC and the WHO are encouraging social distancing of up to 6 feet in order to prevent the spread of the virus.
How the virus is spread
It is very easy for an infected person to spread the virus droplets through coughing, sneezing, touching other people and leaving the virus on surfaces. Health experts advised the public to wash their hands regularly especially after being in public places because they believe that it is the key to reduce the spread of COVID-19. But what can the public do in their homes in order to eliminate the virus?
There are two recent studies that have investigated how long coronaviruses survive on different surfaces. The research looked at numerous viruses including SARS-Cov-2, the coronavirus that has caused COVID-19. The research found that the survival times varied according to the type of surface.
The virus survived the longest on stainless steel and plastic, as it stayed for up to 9 days. The shortest survival times of one day was for paper and cardboard. Medical experts are asking people to clean and disinfect their house as often as possible, but how good are the cleaning products at killing the virus?
Cleaning products
The first line of defense to remove the virus from surfaces is soap and water. Soap interferes with the fats in the virus shell and it lifts the virus from surfaces and this is then rinsed off by water. Bleach is also a popular cleaning agent, the active ingredient in bleach called sodium hypochlorite is effecting at killing the virus. Leave the bleach to work for 10 to 15 minutes then wipe the surface with a clean cloth.
The bleach destroyed the protein and the ribonucleic acid RNA of the virus, which is the substance that gives the blueprint for making more virus particles when you become infected. Make sure that you use the bleach as directed on the bottle.
Surface wipes are also needed during the pandemic especially if you go out a lot. Surface wipes have an active ingredient called benzalkonium chloride. The wipes work by physically removing germs through the pressure that you apply when you use them, and the germs then attach to the wipe. The wipes also leave a layer of the antiseptic on the surface that works to kills germs.
When the coronavirus outbreak began, one cleaning agent that was immediately off the shelves and were sold out are hand sanitizers. It is convenient as you can carry it anywhere and it adheres to the advice of the CDC and WHO about disinfecting your hands. However, not all hand sanitizers are made to kill the coronavirus, the level of ethanol needs to be 70% or it will not kill the virus effectively.
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