Disinfecting Surfaces? It Might Not Be Worth It

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   https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/12/28/948936133/still-disinfecting-surfaces-it-might-not-be-worth-it
At the start of the pandemic, stores quickly sold out of disinfectant sprays and wipes. People were advised to wipe down their packages and the cans they bought at the grocery store.
But scientists have learned a lot this year about the coronavirus and how it's transmitted, and it turns out all that scrubbing and disinfecting might not be necessary.
If a person infected with the coronavirus sneezes, coughs or talks loudly, droplets containing particles of the virus can travel through the air and eventually land on nearby surfaces. But the risk of getting infected from touching a surface contaminated by the virus is low, says Emanuel Goldman, a microbiologist at Rutgers University.
"In hospitals, surfaces have been tested near COVID-19 patients, and no infectious virus can be identified," Goldman says.
What's found is viral RNA, which is like "the corpse of the virus," he says. That's what's left over after the virus dies.
"They don't find infectious virus, and that's because the virus is very fragile in the environment — it decays very quickly," Goldman says.

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ksc Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Adviser Group Joined: February 09 2020 Status: Offline Points: 10995	Post Options Post Reply Quote ksc Report Post Thanks(1) Quote Reply Topic: Disinfecting Surfaces? It Might Not Be Worth It Posted: January 04 2021 at 10:02am
	https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/12/28/948936133/still-disinfecting-surfaces-it-might-not-be-worth-it At the start of the pandemic, stores quickly sold out of disinfectant sprays and wipes. People were advised to wipe down their packages and the cans they bought at the grocery store. But scientists have learned a lot this year about the coronavirus and how it's transmitted, and it turns out all that scrubbing and disinfecting might not be necessary. If a person infected with the coronavirus sneezes, coughs or talks loudly, droplets containing particles of the virus can travel through the air and eventually land on nearby surfaces. But the risk of getting infected from touching a surface contaminated by the virus is low, says Emanuel Goldman, a microbiologist at Rutgers University. "In hospitals, surfaces have been tested near COVID-19 patients, and no infectious virus can be identified," Goldman says. What's found is viral RNA, which is like "the corpse of the virus," he says. That's what's left over after the virus dies. "They don't find infectious virus, and that's because the virus is very fragile in the environment — it decays very quickly," Goldman says.