Clean Break: Risk of catching Covid from a blown surface, experts say | Health

When the Covid-19 case first began to occur in Australia, some reported disinfecting food before bringing it home. There was also concern that the virus could live on the surface of the mail package. During the extended blockade in Victoria, a team of workers could be seen walking down the streets of the city, disinfecting traffic light buttons, benches, and even fences.

Just a year later, La Trobe University epidemiologist Hassan Vallee said that surface infections became apparent as less important than once feared in the Covid-19 epidemic. Surface propagation is not impossible, but Vally said its role in diffusion requires perspective.

“I want to make it clear that nothing changes when it comes to washing hands and personal hygiene,” Vallee said. “But we don’t have to worry about washing all the surfaces 20 times a day, we focus on improving hand hygiene and social distance, and when we’re sick, we just stay home and spread the virus. It should be enough to prevent it. “

Close contact Aerosol spread is a driving force for Covid-19 infection, primarily when an infected person comes into close contact with another person and infects small liquid particles. [droplets and aerosols] It contains the virus, especially when coughing or sneezing. These aerosols get into the nose, mouth and eyes of nearby people.

To A piece for conversation, said Vallee: “This does not mean that surface penetration is not possible and poses no risk in certain situations or should be completely ignored. However, recognizing that the threat of surface infection is relatively small. Must be kept. “

Emanuel Goldman, a professor of microbiology at Rutgers University in the United States, I wrote a lancet in a medical journal Research into surface propagation warnings has been done in the laboratory and “is very similar to the actual scenario.”

“In my opinion, it is very unlikely that you will be infected through an inanimate surface, the infected person will cough or sneeze on the surface, and someone else will cough or sneeze immediately after the cough or sneeze (within 1-2 hours). Only if you touch the surface, “Goldman said.

“I disagree with caution, but this can be an extreme that is not justified by the data.” In hospital-like environments, regularly disinfect the surface and use gloves. That may be a reasonable precaution, but he said it was probably overkill in a low-risk environment.

Fuel concerns about surface spread At first glance I was wary However, exaggeration, including a study by the Australian government agency CSIRO, found that droplets of liquid containing the virus could survive on surfaces such as cash and glass for up to 28 days at concentrations similar to those observed in infected patients. The research done.

What many news reports about the study didn’t mention was that it was done in the dark to remove the effects of UV light, which helps kill the virus. Real-world humidity and temperature are constantly changing. This is different from the temperature carefully controlled in the laboratory. For example, mail is exposed to light through various humidity and temperatures throughout the system, making it very unlikely that the virus will survive in the mail.

Science wasn’t wrong, Vallee said, but the interpretation and explanation of the results was wrong.

But isn’t too much hygiene good for absolute safety?

Mr. Vallee said the problem was compliance fatigue.

“We’re doing a lot of psychological research that says we only have a certain amount of willpower and a certain amount of detail that we can pay attention to,” Vallee said. “That’s why Apple founder Steve Jobs wore the same clothes every day, based on the idea that he can make so many decisions every day and exercise some will.

“When we learn more about viruses, we need to make sure we’re not worried about what we shouldn’t worry about. We don’t want to pay attention to the disproportionate threats they pose. By doing so We can get more energy to focus on what’s important, which also helps us save money and time. “

Peter Collignon, a doctor of infectious diseases and a professor at the Australian National University, says that promoting the spread of the virus is all about showing that people in close proximity are talking, coughing, singing and breathing. I agree with the available evidence of.

“They are inhaling them, it’s getting into their nose and eyes, and it’s a major risk factor,” he said. That’s why eye protection, especially in quarantine hotels and hospitals, should be as prioritized as masks and social distance, he said.

Corignon cites a large study published in Journal of American Medical Association Despite wearing a three-layer surgical mask, gloves and shoe covers and using alcohol rubs, 19% of healthcare workers were found to be infected. After the introduction of the face shield, the workers were uninfected.

“We Underestimated how important the eyes are and overemphasized the surface“Colignon said.