How to Stop Asymptomatic Transmission in Public

Disinfection Spraying Tunnels For Covid-19 Not Advisable

Mumbai ,15th April 2020: With the novel coronavirus spreading to over 210 countries and territories worldwide, affecting

1,956,457 people and resulting in the loss of 123,483 lives by the last count, organizations and institutions have begun to consider the risk posed by the public, especially asymptomatic carriers — people with no visible symptoms — of entering a public building, such as a retail store or a healthcare facility. Many facilities are anxious to provide some measures to tackle the situation in order to address the risk of Covid-19 and one proposed solution has been to spray people with a disinfectant solution before they enter a building or area.

Diversey — a global leader in hygiene and infection prevention solutions — does not support the practice of direct spraying of humans, or animals, to contain the spread. Not only is it ineffective, but it can also cause serious health risks to people with or without Covid-19 infection. Chemical disinfectants are not meant to come into contact with the eyes, be inhaled, or taken in through the mouth. They are strictly for external use only. And using disinfectants in this manner can have negative health outcomes, which is an unacceptable risk given the intended benefit.

Downside of disinfection spray tunnels

Lack of efficacy: Only a hard, non-porous surface can be disinfected in this manner; soft surfaces, such as clothing, cannot. This is unlikely to be significantly effective against virus traces on the person’s skin or clothing. Some disinfectant stations apply a fine mist to clothing. This may make the clothing damp, yet not likely to impact the viral load on it
Health and safety risk: Powered-spray devices create small droplets (