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Disinfectant Use Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic;
Assisting Parents’ Risk-Benefit Analysis
Shortly following the release of our research on the link between frequent household cleaning product use and childhood asthma (Parks et al., 2020), the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that causes COVID-19 took over media coverage. This coverage has resulted in widespread concern amongst all members of society, particularly parents. Parents will decide whether and how much disinfectants are used in their home, balancing the need to prevent the spread of the virus against the need to protect their children from the risks associated with cleaning product use. We stand by the recommendations in our published study and acknowledge that the current crisis will warrant the use of disinfectants at an increased frequency.
When and where community-level exposure is known (i.e. the classroom, church group, or a workplace where someone was infected), parents will want to take precautions to avoid spread of the virus within the home. Frequent hand washing with soap and water is still the best way to avoid getting infected with the virus (BCCDC, 2020) followed by hand sanitizers when handwashing is unavailable. Avoiding touching the face, and social distancing are also recommended ways to prevent spread (CDCb, 2020). Parents may wish to expand on their cleaning habits to include more disinfection of surfaces where contact may occur quickly after respiratory droplets are deposited. A person can be infected with the virus for up to 2 weeks before developing symptoms (CDCa, 2020), so waiting for symptoms may be too late to ramp up disinfection practices.
To avoid prolonged or acutely high exposure to disinfectants, and ensure that they have the opportunity to do their work in killing viruses and bacteria, take these steps to use disinfectants safely:
o Clean first, disinfect second. Wash a surface with soap and water to remove as many pathogens as possible, then disinfect to kill the remainder.
o Ensure the disinfectant is not expired.
o Always follow instructions on the label for dilution, contact time, and safe use.
o Never mix household bleach with ammonia or any other cleanser. This is very important to avoiding secondary pollutants.
o Wear gloves when mixing and applying disinfectants.
o Ventilate during and following the disinfection event.
o Don’t clean around children and avoid spending time in a room following the application of cleaning products.
To assure you are using a suitable disinfectant, check your name-brand disinfectant against the US EPA’s list of registered Antimicrobial Products to use against COVID-19 (US EPA, 2020) or make your own bleach solution for the disinfection of general surfaces (e.g. railings, handles, phones, door knobs) (CDCb, 2020).
Disinfectants still carry risks to a child’s health, but these risks will by outweighed by the benefit of preventing members in the household from contracting the virus and by hampering of COVID-19’s expansion within the home and community. When the risk of community infection is high, increased use of disinfectants is warranted. Avoid cleaning products that contain fragrances or are sprayed. We remind parents that disinfectants can be used in an appropriate context and applied in a responsible manner.
Jaclyn Parks, BSc
Tim K Takaro, MD MPH
Competing interests: None declared
Bibliography
BC Centers for Disease Control. (2020). 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) B.C. public health guidance for schools and childcare programs. Retrieved March 13, 2020 from: http://www.bccdc.ca/Health-Info-Site/Documents/COVID19_schools_childcare...
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCa). (2020). Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19); What You Should Know. Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/symptoms.html
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCb). (2020). Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19); Environmental Cleaning and Disinfection Recommendations. Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/home/cleaning-disinf...
Parks, J., McCandless, L., Dharma, C., Brook, J., Turvey, SE., Mandhane, P., Becker, AB., Kozyrskyj, AL., Azad, MB., Moraes, TJ., Lefevbre, DL., Sears, MR., Subbarao, P., Scott, J., Takaro, TK. (2020). Association of use of cleaning products with respiratory health in a Canadian birth cohort. Canadian Medical Association Journal. 192(7); E154-161. Doi: 10.1503/cmaj.190819
US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). (2020). List N: EPA’s Registered Antimicrobial Products for Use Against Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, the Cause of COVID-19. Retrieved March 13, 2020 from: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2020-03/documents/sars-cov-2-...