Does disinfecting surfaces really prevent the spread of coronavirus? MAR12
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/03/does-disinfecting-surfaces-really-prevent-spread-coronavirus
So, what about outdoors? According to a variety of local news reports from cities including Shanghai and Gwangju, South Korea, the disinfectant most commonly used outdoors is a diluted solution of sodium hypochlorite, or household bleach. But it’s unclear whether bleach destroys coronaviruses outside, and if it does kill them on surfaces it's unclear whether it would kill viruses in the air. Bleach itself breaks down under ultraviolet (UV) light. Then again, Leon says, UV light seems to destroy coronaviruses as well. And coronavirus exposure from outdoor surfaces may be limited already: “Nobody goes around licking sidewalks or trees,” Leon says.
There may even be downsides to widespread overzealous disinfection with bleach, notes Julia Silva Sobolik, a graduate student in Leon’s lab. “Bleach is highly irritating to mucous membranes,” Sobolik says. That means people exposed to sprayed disinfectants—especially the workers who spray them—are at risk of respiratory troubles, among other ailments. Sobolik notes that an October 2019 study in JAMA Network Open found that nurses who regularly used disinfectants to clean surfaces were at higher risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. A 2017 study linked exposure to disinfectants to asthma to adults in Germany. Both of those studies dealt with years long exposure to disinfectants. Still, the message seems to be taking hold. In a recent television broadcast by state CCTV in China, Zhang Liubo, a researcher with China’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention, warned the public that, “Outdoor surfaces, such as roads, squares, lawns, should not be sprayed with disinfectants repeatedly. … Spraying disinfectants over a large area and repeatedly may cause environmental pollution and should be avoided.”
Not sure about all of the information in the above article -- for instance, while certain UV rays have been found to kill coronavirus, I recently saw where sunlight alone isn't thought to be enough. Still, keeping the environments you spend time in reasonably clean is a good thing. Trying to clean the great outdoors with sprays like this, not so much. It looks impressive but it really isn't accomplishing anything other than pollution.
Reposted from this discussion:
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100213130561
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