WHO warned that spraying the streets with disinfectant is dangerous and ineffective in the fight against coronavirus

Spraying or spraying the streets with disinfectant, as is done in some countries, does not serve to eliminate the new coronavirus and also poses a health risk, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned this Saturday.

In a document on surface cleaning and disinfection in response to the new coronavirus, the WHO explained that “Spraying or spraying outdoor spaces, such as streets or markets, is not recommended to kill the virus that causes COVID-19 or other pathogens, since the action of the disinfectant is nullified by dirt. ”

“Even in the absence of organic matter, chemical spraying is unlikely to properly cover all surfaces for the contact time necessary to deactivate pathogens,” adds WHO. “Furthermore, streets and sidewalks are not considered reservoirs of COVID-19 infection,” he adds, noting that “spraying disinfectant, even outdoors, can be dangerous to human health.”

The WHO emphasizes that “in no case is it recommended to spray people with disinfectant”, since this “could be physically and psychologically dangerous and would not reduce the ability of an infected person to spread the virus through droplets or by contact.”

Spraying chlorine or other toxic chemicals in people can, recalls the WHO, irritation to the eyes and skin, bronchospasm and have gastrointestinal effects. The WHO also does not recommend systematic spraying of disinfectant indoors to kill the new coronavirus.

According to the organization, a study shows that spraying inside buildings is ineffective if it is not done directly. “If disinfectants are applied, it should be done with a cloth or a disinfectant wipe,” recommends the organization.

The SARS-CoV-2 virus, which caused the pandemic that has caused more than 300,000 deaths worldwide since it appeared in late December in China, can land on surfaces and objects, but there is currently no precise information on how much. The virus continues to be infectious on different surfaces over time. Some studies indicated that the virus can remain for several days on different types of surface, but the WHO highlighted that the duration data are not theoretical, since they were recorded under experimental conditions.

The numbers

In addition to the more than 300,000 deaths, the total cases amount to 4.42 million. The graph of new daily cases has been stable for more than a month at around 80,000 infections per day, while that of the deceased, although with many ups and downs, seems to be on the decline, with about 4,000 deaths every day when a month ago they doubled.

America is consolidated as the most affected region with 1.9 million infections, followed by Europe (1.84 million) and the Middle East (315,000).

The United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy and Brazil (the last country to overcome the barrier of 200,000 cases confirmed by the WHO) remain as the territories with the most infections in the world, while India, in ninth position with 85,000 cases, exceeded 84,000 in China, the origin of the coronavirus.

Statistics from national health services indicate that 1.77 million affected by COVID-19 have already recovered from the disease, while 44,000 patients, a number in very slow decline and representing 2% of active cases , they are still in serious or critical condition.

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