LOCAL government units (LGUs) should heed the advice of the Department of Health (DOH) and the World Health Organization (WHO) against the spraying of individuals and surfaces or the misting of large areas with disinfectants in a bid to ward off or kill SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). These are ineffective.
Through a Facebook post, DOH stated “there is no evidence to support that spraying of surfaces or large-scale misting of areas, indoor or outdoor with disinfecting agents, kills the virus,” emphasizing “DOH does not recommend spraying or misting.”
It warned that spraying or misting can cause pathogens to be dispersed further during spraying, result in skin irritation and inhalation of chemicals, and cause environmental pollution.
For its part, the EcoWaste Coalition cited the guidance issued by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention as reported in the China Daily: “Disinfection of the open air is listed as one of the improper measures…It may backfire by polluting the air, earth, plants, underground water and even human body.”
Then there’s the statement of the US Environmental Protection Agency stating it “does not recommend use of fumigation or wide-area spraying to control COVID-19. “Fumigation and wide-area spraying are not appropriate tools for cleaning contaminated surfaces.”
On the other hand, at the Facebook page of the UP National Poison Management and Control Center, the Infection and Prevention Control Unit under WHO’s World Health Emergencies Programme advised against spraying individuals with disinfectants for COVID-19 prevention. “We strongly advise that the spraying of individuals or groups is not recommended under any circumstances. Spraying an individual or group with chemical disinfectants or detergents is physically or psychologically harmful and does not limit the spread of COVID-19,” according to Dr. Maria Clara Padoveze, Infection Prevention and Control Expert, WHO.
Indeed, even if a person is infected with COVID-19, spraying the external part of the body does not kill the virus inside the body and may worsen the clinical condition of the individual. In particular, spraying of chlorine on individuals can lead to irritation of eyes and skin, bronchospasm due to inhalation, and potentially gastrointestinal effects such as nausea and vomiting.
LGUs should instead improve hand hygiene practices widely to help prevent the transmission of the COVID-19 virus. They should provide universal access to public hand hygiene stations and make their use obligatory on entering or leaving public or private commercial building, public transport and healthcare facilities.
LGUs must pay serious attention to this precautionary advice and avoid ineffective practices, which may even cause harm instead of protecting human health and the environment.
