Can viruses be transmitted through clothing? Here is a disinfection tip sheet
Release Time:
2020-05-25 16:07
Source:
On May 10, the Jilin Provincial Health Commission reported that from 0:00 to 24:00 on May 9, there were 11 new locally confirmed cases in the province. All 11 cases came from Shulan City, a county-level city under the jurisdiction of Jilin City. The first diagnosed patient was a 45-year-old woman confirmed on May 7, who worked as a laundry worker at the Shulan City Public Security Bureau. The source of infection for the newly confirmed local cases in Jilin Province has not yet been identified. Experts also stated that the first reported case may not be the source, but many people are wondering: can the novel coronavirus be transmitted through clothing?
Q: Is it possible that the confirmed laundry worker in Shulan, Jilin was infected through clothes?
Wu Zunyou, Chief Epidemiologist at the Chinese CDC: A few days ago, there was a study about the virus content in the air. Researchers sampled the air in hospital patient rooms, the semi-contaminated area where doctors change isolation gowns, and the clean area. They found that the virus content in the air was actually higher in the space where medical staff change isolation gowns. This means that if medical staff are inside the ward, their clothes may pick up the virus during the process of taking off the gowns, the virus content in the air is higher.
Clothing is low risk; frequent washing might be a good idea.
Dr. Vincent Hsu, who works at AdventHealth Hospital in Orlando, USA, said, "There is still much we don't know about this virus, and we learn more every day. But this is what we currently understand. If you are running in your neighborhood or going to the grocery store, the possibility of contracting COVID-19 through clothes or shoes is very small. We do not believe shoes or clothes are significant sources of transmission. "
However, we do know that the novel coronavirus can survive on different surfaces outside the human body, and contact with such surfaces can lead to transmission.
Depending on the type of surface, experts estimate the virus survival time ranges from several hours to several days. Although metal and plastic can provide a survival environment for the virus for up to 2 to 3 days, clothing is considered a material unfavorable for virus survival. Infectious disease expert and Vice President of CommonSpirit Health, Dr. Kathleen Jordan, said: "Our best research in this area is based on influenza and other previously known viruses, but generally, clothing is not considered the best incubator for viruses." Temperature and humidity play important roles in whether the virus can thrive in an environment. Most fabric materials have properties that are unfavorable for this. 。
"Clothes are usually mesh-like rather than hard surfaces, which may allow air to circulate more easily," Dr. Jordan said. The possibility of virus transmission through clothing is low, but experts agree that in several situations, immediately washing clothes is a good idea. 。
Still worried? What to do?
After all, these are special times. If you have been to crowded places, it is indeed necessary to be cautious. If you are still worried, here are some popular online methods for your reference, although some are not recommended.
01 Hot water washing
(Recommended, easy to operate)
Since the virus is sensitive to heat, it can be inactivated at 56°C for 30 minutes. Many washing machines now have a heated wash function. Setting the washing mode according to the temperature and time needed to kill the virus can prevent the virus from remaining on clothes. If the washing machine does not have a heated wash function, clothes can be soaked in hot water for at least 30 minutes before washing. If you have a dryer at home, you can also use its heating function to dry-heat disinfect clothes. Of course, it is important to note that high temperatures may cause shrinkage or fading of wool, silk, and darker cotton or nylon fabrics, so be careful when washing.
02 Ultraviolet light exposure
(Moderate, improper use can harm the body)
Besides heat, the novel coronavirus is also sensitive to ultraviolet light. Friends who have UV disinfection lamps at home can use them to disinfect clothes. However, UV light can harm the skin and eyes, and the ozone it produces can irritate the respiratory tract. Therefore, everyone must leave the room during UV disinfection to avoid injury, and the room should be ventilated for a while after disinfection.
03 Alcohol spraying
(Not recommended, may cause fire hazard)
Alcohol at 75% concentration can effectively inactivate the novel coronavirus. From the perspective of virus elimination, spraying 75% alcohol on clothes is a good method. However, according to relevant national standards, alcohol concentrations above 38% are classified as Class A flammable and explosive hazardous materials. When using 75% alcohol for disinfection, large-scale spraying indoors is prohibited to prevent the air concentration from exceeding 3%, which could cause fire. If the sprayed concentration reaches 3%, static electricity on clothes may ignite an explosion. Therefore, special attention must be paid to the amount used and whether there are flammable materials nearby when spraying alcohol.
04 Spraying or soaking clothes with 84 disinfectant
(Not recommended, damages clothes and inconvenient to operate)
84 disinfectant is a chlorine-containing disinfectant with sodium hypochlorite as the main ingredient, capable of inactivating the novel coronavirus. However, 84 disinfectant has strong bleaching, irritating, and corrosive effects that can damage clothes. Additionally, it must be diluted before use according to the instructions; gloves should be worn during use due to skin irritation; and it must not be mixed with other detergents or disinfectants.
05 Take clothes to a professional and reputable laundry service
(Recommended, suitable for those who dislike doing laundry)
Professional laundry shops use fully enclosed dry cleaning machines that distill the solvent after each wash to ensure pure solvent is used every time. Tetrachloroethylene, the most common dry cleaning solvent, can kill moths and their eggs and inhibit bacterial growth. Some bacteria on clothes that are invisible to the naked eye (such as pathogens, larvae, spores, and parasites) are difficult to remove without professional cleaning methods, but dry cleaning can solve this problem. Each garment in a professional laundry process undergoes strict washing, drying, and ironing, and under such high-temperature treatment, viruses find it hard to survive.
(Text and images compiled from: People's Daily, Guokr.com, Health Online, Science Popularization China, Xiehe Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia Protection Manual)
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