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During the COVID-19 pandemic, we learned to take better care of our own immunity, and we also put more emphasis on hygiene and disinfection. It is worth remembering that regular disinfection should not only apply to hands, but also to surfaces with which we most often come into contact. Such prophylaxis reduces the risk of SARS-CoV-2 virus transmission.
Bacteria and viruses – not only on your hands
Since the announcement of the global coronavirus pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO), efforts by medics, scientists and pharmaceutical companies have focused on effective and safe ways to fight the germ causing COVID-19 disease. From the very beginning, it was repeated that in order to reduce the risk of infection, one should remember about DDM – that is, Distance, Disinfection and Mask.
Why? The SARS-CoV-2 virus travels to the outside via droplets. When talking, coughing or sneezing, the microorganism is released into the environment. The key issue is to protect the mucous membranes of the mouth and nose, which are the gateway to infection, while maintaining distance (social distance), proper wearing of the mask, as well as regular and proper disinfection is important. It should be remembered that in addition to hand disinfection, systematic and thorough surface disinfection at home or at work is also important. Infection can also occur indirectly – through contaminated objects and usable surfaces.
Touching the path to infection
Research results have shown that 80% of germs can enter the human body by touch, including contact with the surface they live on. Some of them, including the virus that causes COVID-19, can persist on surfaces for up to 28 days, scientists from the CommonWealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) recently found out.
The virus that causes the COVID-19 disease stays in the air mainly on saliva droplets. These are relatively heavy, so they quickly fall onto the surrounding surfaces. This means that objects and flat surfaces can become a potential source of infection, and their effective disinfection contributes to breaking the chain of infection – says Dr. Tomasz Dzieścitkowski, virologist at the Medical University of Warsaw.
The data of the National Health Fund show that the “hygienic mobilization” related to COVID-19 in the first months of 2020 resulted in a several-fold reduction in the incidence of infectious diseases. This was especially true of diseases related to food hygiene: rotavirus diarrhea or salmonellosis. Therefore, it is worth maintaining and cultivating this protection through disinfection and hygiene. In the case of disinfection, it is not only about disinfecting hands, but also surfaces – those in public places as well as those with which we come into contact on a daily basis in our homes.
Effective protection
As Monika Schmidt, director of medical and regulatory affairs at Reckitt Benckiser, argues, the most important thing to remember is the disinfection of surfaces and objects that surround us and with which we deal most often.
Cutting boards, sinks, refrigerators, and children’s chairs or changing mats. These are just some of the surfaces that bacteria and viruses, including the COVID-19 disease virus, have a particular liking for. We touch them regularly and then, often unconsciously, we also touch our mouth and face, which increases the risk of indirect contact promoting the spread of the coronavirus. We must remember that the health of our relatives is in our hands, and effective disinfection with certified biocidal products significantly reduces the risk of infection.
For home use, it is best to choose products for disinfecting surfaces that come into direct contact with food. It is worth reaching, for example, for a spray for surface disinfection or antibacterial wipes soaked in a disinfectant. Dettol brand products that, thanks to their disinfecting properties, kill 99,9% of bacteria and viruses, including SARS-CoV-2. The wipes can also cope with the H1N1 flu virus, RSV virus and rotavirus. *
These products can be used for disinfection, among others kitchen worktops, cutting boards, refrigerators or children’s chairs. Their effectiveness against the SARS-CoV-2 virus has been confirmed by laboratory tests carried out by Microbac Laboratories (a laboratory certified by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention – CDC). These results were published in the prestigious scientific journal American Journal of Infection Control.
The Dettol brand has many years (over 80 years) experience in the field of disinfection. Its products are currently sold in 124 countries around the world. The brand belonging to Reckitt Benckiser is the market leader in antibacterial agents, the effectiveness of which is confirmed by tests carried out by independent research institutions.
* Concerns Dettol antibacterial surface spray (basic version, lime and mint scent) removes SARS-CoV-2 virus; Dettol antibacterial wipes (original, lime and mint scent) remove H1N1 influenza virus, coronovirus (BCV), RSV, rotavirus, SARS-CoV-2
Biocidal products should be used with caution. Before each use, read the label and product information.