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May 16, 2020 • 3:32 pm
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According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it is not yet known whether people can catch the Sars-CoV-2 coronavirus when they touch door handles, grab handles or computer keyboards. Nevertheless, disinfection is recommended, according to a WHO hygiene recommendation published in Geneva on Saturday.
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In it, she mentions a study that the virus can survive up to seven days on the outside of a medical face mask. However, all studies on the viability of the virus on surfaces should be treated with caution. According to the WHO, they were carried out in laboratories and made no conclusions about the real world.
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In the study mentioned, the virus survived up to four days on stainless steel and plastic, up to two days on glass and one day on fabric and wood. In another study, it was four hours for copper, 24 hours for cardboard and 72 hours for plastic and stainless steel.
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Although no study has so far proven infection with Sars-CoV-2 by touching surfaces, experience with other corona viruses cannot rule this out. That is why disinfection is important – in clinics, but also outside, for example in sinks, toilets, electronic devices, handrails on stairs, floors and walls.
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The WHO advises against spraying disinfectants, in clinics, shops, offices and households, but also outdoors, as many authorities in Asia do in particular. Streets and sidewalks are not a reservoir for viruses, and it is unlikely that the disinfectant can work on uneven surfaces long enough to kill pathogens.
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“People should never be sprayed,” warns the WHO. This does not prevent the transmission of viruses via droplet infection if people are infected. “Spraying people with chlorine and other toxic chemicals can cause eye and skin irritation and inhalation can cause respiratory muscle spasm, gastrointestinal upset and nausea and vomiting.”
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