Keeping surfaces clean matters to contain Coronavirus

WHO advises use of sodium hypochlorite or alcohol for disinfection to curb transmission of Coronavirus

Hyderabad: Personal protection measures like maintaining physical distancing, frequent hand washing and always wearing face covers or masks have become major interventions to break the transmission chain of the highly contagious SARS-CoV-2.

Some major factors that play a key role in transmission of the coronavirus are the surfaces that people come in contact with often, such as door and window handles, kitchen and food preparation areas, counter tops, bathroom surfaces, toilets and taps, touchscreens of persons devices, computer keyboards and work surfaces.

While roads, streets and other public buildings and establishments are disinfected by authorities, individuals quite often tend to struggle, when it comes to disinfecting surfaces at their homes and workplaces. According to the advisories from World Health Organisation (WHO), Centre for Diseases Control (CDC) and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW), it is important to clean such surfaces with sodium hypochlorite (bleach or chlorine) or alcohol for disinfection.

Surfaces must be cleaned with water and soap or a detergent first to remove dirt, followed by disinfection. Cleaning should always start from the least soiled (cleanest) area to the most soiled (dirtiest) area in order to not spread the dirt to areas that are less soiled. Ideally, the disinfectant solutions must be freshly prepared every day. In indoor spaces, instead of spraying the surfaces with disinfectants, a cloth or wipe soaked in the disinfectant should be used, the WHO said.

Another common doubt that individuals have is what should a person immediately do after entering home? People must thoroughly wash their hands with soap and water or a hand gel before touching surfaces, items, pets and people within the household. When outdoors, individuals must follow hand hygiene, physical distancing and wear masks.

A lot of people use gloves in public spaces, which is not recommended by WHO as a proven method of prevention. Wearing gloves in public spaces does not replace the need for hand hygiene, nor does it offer any additional measure of protection against Covid-19 disease than hand hygiene.

Another important aspect that people should remember is that there is no evidence so far of viruses getting transmitted through food or food packaging. Coronavirus can’t multiply in food because they need an animal or human host to multiple.

Can Covid-19 positive mother breast feed her child?

Transmission of Covid-19 through breast milk and breastfeeding has not been detected to date and there is no reason to avoid breast feeding the child. Mothers, however, should wash hands frequently before touching the baby, should wear medical mask during contact with the baby including feeding.

Sneeze or cough into a tissue and then dispose it. Frequently clean and disinfect those surfaces touched by mothers. Medical masks must be changed once they get damp.

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