When it comes to housecleaning, here's how to tackle the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic.
These are strange times, and when times are strange, the internet does what it is so uniquely good at: It spreads a lot of misinformation.
Recently we’ve seen all kinds of far-fetched claims about how to kill the virus responsible for COVID-19 – some of them so dangerous that we’re not even going to repeat them here. Suffice to say, people are panicking and hungry for ways to protect themselves. Fair enough. But we thought it would be prudent to take a look at some of the things proven to be effective for destroying the new coronavirus at home.
The Centers for Disease Control notes that current evidence suggests that the virus may “remain viable for hours to days on surfaces made from a variety of materials.” They add,"Cleaning of visibly dirty surfaces followed by disinfection is a best practice measure for prevention of COVID-19 and other viral respiratory illnesses in households and community settings."
Fortunately, the Environmental Protection Agency tells us that coronaviruses are some of the easiest types of viruses to kill. “It has an envelope around it that allows it to merge with other cells to infect them,” Stephen Thomas, M.D., chief of infectious diseases and director of global health at Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, tells Consumer Reports. “If you disrupt that coating, the virus can’t do its job.”
By cleaning first and then disinfecting, the risk of spreading infection can be lowered. Surfaces should be cleaned using detergent or soap and water – and allowed to dry for at least 10 minutes – prior to disinfecting.
If your household is home to someone suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19, please see cleaning instructions included in the CDC's recommended precautions for household members, intimate partners, and caregivers.
Perry Santanachote writes in Consumer Reports that the action of scrubbing with soap and water can break that aforementioned protective envelope. “Scrub like you’ve got sticky stuff on the surface and you really need to get it off,” says organic chemist Richard Sachleben.
But NOT vodkaDespite what some are suggesting, an 80-proof product is only 40 percent ethyl alcohol, compared with the 70 percent required to kill the coronavirus.
And NOT distilled white vinegarWhile vinegar may be a TreeHugger favorite, there is no evidence that it is effective in killing the coronavirus.
“It’s great for getting into hard-to-reach crevices,” Sachleben says. “You can pour it on the area and you don’t have to wipe it off because it essentially decomposes into oxygen and water.”
Some of these look pretty intense and would be my last resort, but then again, I am not living in a household with someone who is infected. As always, use caution and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for all cleaning and disinfection products.
As per CDC instructions, make a bleach solution by mixing five tablespoons (1/3 cup) bleach per gallon of water or four teaspoons bleach per quart of water. Keep in mind:
Also see: Laundry in a time of COVID-19
See more on cleaning and disinfecting from the CDC here, and for more COVID-19 coverage, see related stories below.
Food & Water Watch is concerned about some USDA records it stumbled upon that show political pressure was applied to allow an increase in Chinese chicken imports without following proper safety protocol. More interesting than the agency taking shortcuts, however, is the question of why it did: to promote U.S. beef interests.At least that's a potential explanation, supported in part by information Food & Water Watch obtained through a FOIA request. The group found that "pressure on the USDA to approve the rule was based in part on U.S. efforts to reopen the U.S. beef trade with China, which was banned after mad cow disease was discovered in a cow in Washington State in 2003."
The group said that the USDA made mistakes and didn't follow proper procedure for naming China an approved exporter of processed poultry products to the U.S.
Among Food & Water Watch's findings:
USDA missed required steps in the approval process and failed to send the rule to the USDA Office of Civil Rights for review;
USDA staff made incorrect public statements that consumers would be able to avoid Chinese poultry imports, despite the fact that country of origin labeling requirements would not apply to processed poultry products;
FSIS provided different sets of data for the potential economic impact of processed poultry imports from China on the domestic poultry industry.
"We now have evidence of instances where the USDA broke its own rules," said Wenonah Hauter, the group's executive director. "China's food safety system is virtually non-existent."
More on processed chickenJamie Oliver Shows Kids What's In A Chicken Nugget And It Ain't PrettyStudy Finds USDA Child Nutrition Commodity Program Lacks NutritionBlood, Sweat and Takeaways: Chicken ProcessingWhat Does KFC Have to do with a Cure for Breast Cancer?
Listen to the story.
A core ambition of The World has always been to help make international news relevant to readers. The rapid spread of COVID-19 is an important reminder that global events are often indifferent to borders. Our distinctive edge is a reporting team, led by Marco Werman, that bypasses pundits to get to the source of what’s happening now, so our listeners can stay informed in a fast-changing world.
Original reporting, especially in a global context, is challenging and
Major funding provided by:
2020 Public Radio International
No paywalls, ever.
Make sure our nonprofit fact-based journalism is always free for everyone.
comes at a cost. If you value the thoughtful content and human perspectives we provide, we hope you will take a minute to show your support for our work. You can support The World for as little as $7. Donate today.
October 20, 2011 · 11:50 AM CDT