COVID-19 Safeguards

The short essay below is courtesy my father, Phil Erickson.

The Covid-19 coronavirus has been confirmed to pass through water droplets in the air. There is no data confirming it spreading by contact with infected surfaces. Also there is no data on how long it can survive on surfaces. However, keeping surfaces free of the virus could be an important way to help prevent its spread. Here are some resources for information on sterilizing surfaces.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has released a list of disinfectants to protect against the spread of the coronavirus. According to the EPA, products on the list have “qualified for use against COVID-19” through the agency’s Emerging Viral Pathogen program where manufacturers provide the EPA with data that “shows their products are effective against harder-to-kill viruses.” Coronaviruses are what are called enveloped viruses, “meaning they are one of the easiest types of viruses to kill with the appropriate disinfectant product,” the EPA says. “Using the correct disinfectant is an important part of preventing and reducing the spread of illnesses along with other critical aspects such as hand washing,” EPA administrator Andrew Wheeler said in a  news release. “EPA is providing this important information in a public and transparent manner on disinfectant products to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that for “disinfection, diluted household bleach solutions, alcohol solutions with at least 70% alcohol, and most common EPA-registered household disinfectants should be effective.”  The CDC also mentioned another list with EPA-approved “emerging viral pathogens claims” from the American Chemistry Council Center for Biocide Chemistries. Many of the same products from the EPA list also are on the list.

The American Chemistry Council’s Center for Biocide Chemistries posted a list of disinfectants referred to as “fighting products” at Americanchemistry.com , which the website said were pre-approved by the EPA and “for use against emerging enveloped viral pathogens and can be used during the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.” The website said it was providing the information as a “public service,” but notes the list is “not exhaustive” but can be used to “identify products suitable for use against COVID-19.”  Find the here .

Here are some of the registered disinfectants on the EPA’s list:

• Clorox Disinfecting Wipes
• Clorox Commercial Solutions
• Clorox Disinfecting Spray
• Clorox Multi-Surface Cleaner + Bleach
• Klercide 70/30 
• Lonza Formulation
• Lysol Clean & Fresh Multi-Surface Cleaner
• Lysol Disinfectant Max Cover Mist
• Lysol Heavy-Duty Cleaner Disinfectant Concentrate
• Oxycide Daily Disinfectant Cleaner
• Peak Disinfectant Wipes
• Peroxide Multi Surface Cleaner and Disinfectant
• Peroxide Disinfectant and Glass Cleaner
• Purell Professional Surface Disinfectant Wipes
• Sani-Prime Germicidal Disposable Wipe
• Sani-Prime Germicidal Spray
• Find the full list here:
• https://www.americanchemistry.com/Novel-Coronavirus-Fighting-Products-List.pdf

The Clorox Bleach company has this advice:

• Pre-wash surface.
• Mop or wipe with a solution of 1/2 cup of Clorox® Disinfecting Bleach per gallon of water (this is one ounce per quart, or a ratio of 1:32.)
• Allow solution to contact the surface for 5 minutes.
• For items that come in contact with food or mouths (like baby bottles or toys), rinse with warm water and let air-dry.