CDC updates its COVID-19 cleaning guidance for homes and workplaces

16th of April 2021
CDC updates its COVID-19 cleaning guidance for homes and workplaces

Regular surface cleaning with soap and detergent is generally sufficient to reduce the spread of COVID-19, according to new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

However, more frequent cleaning or disinfection may be recommended in areas occupied by people who are at greater risk of severe illness as well as in places where transmission rates are high, or where few people are wearing masks or practising hand hygiene.

And while it is possible to contract the virus from touching contaminated surfaces and objects, evidence shows that the risk of doing so is low according to CDC chief Dr Rochelle Walensky.

"In most cases the practices of fogging, fumigation and wide-area or electrostatic spraying are not recommended as a primary method of disinfection and there are several safety risks to consider," she said.

"Disinfection is only recommended in indoor settings, schools and homes where there has been a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 within the last 24 hours."

According to updated guidance on the CDC's website, the daily cleaning of public spaces should be sufficient to curtail the spread of COVID-19 unless someone with a suspected or confirmed case of the illness has recently occupied that space.

Most infections occur via person-to-person contact when people are within six feet of each other according to Walensky. And she adds that the risk of infection may be reduced by wearing masks consistently and correctly, by washing the hands and by following CDC guidance.

 

 

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