Viruses like SARS-CoV-2 are some of the most vulnerable pathogens to the microbicidal agents in many detergents and cleaning solutions, including soaps for personal care and liquid hand washes.
The active ingredients in many top-selling cleaning solutions and hygiene disinfectants are nearly 100% effective in killing SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, according to investigators with a company called RB, which manufactures a slew of such cleaning products.
In a research letter published today in the American Journal of Infection Control, the investigators say that “to date, virucidal activity against SARS-CoV-2 has not been demonstrated definitively through testing conducted per standardized surface and suspension.” They add that they provide such evidence in their research letter, saying that the microbicidals ethyl alcohol, para-chloro-meta-xylenol (PCMX), salicylic acid; and quaternary ammonium compounds kill 99.9% of coronaviruses.
In fact, say investigators, viruses like SARS-CoV-2 are some of the most vulnerable pathogens to the microbicidal agents in many detergents and cleaning solutions, including soaps for personal care and liquid hand washes.
“Inactivation of such viruses by formulated microbicidal actives and detergents is believed to occur as a result of disruption of the virally modified, host-cell-derived, phospholipid bilayer glycoproteinaceous envelope and the associated spike glycoproteins that interact with the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE2) receptor required for infection of host cells,” the research letter states.
Bruce Charlesworth, MBChB, RB’s chief medical officer, said in a press release that: “Our hope is that these findings will be useful to the infection prevention and control community in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a positive development and is fully consistent with our expectations. We will continue to develop scientific evidence to support our product portfolio to enable effective, science-led communication around hygiene.”
The research letter states that “all of the microbicidal actives were effective for inactivating SARS-CoV-2, demonstrating ≥3.0 to ≥4.7 log10reduction of infectious virus within the tested 1 to 5 minutes contact time in virucidal efficacy testing conducted per applicable ASTM International and EN standards.”
RM manufactures a slew of cleaning products including Lysol, Durex, Finish, Vanish, Harpic, Cillit, Bang, Enfamil, Nutramigen, Nurofen, Strepsils, and Gaviscon.
Healing With Algorithms: AI's Impact on Epidemiology and Infection Control
April 2nd 2024Media in the US presents AI as both beneficial and risky. Positive coverage shows AI's potential through virtual assistants like Siri, while cautionary tales warn of misuse like misinformation and deepfakes. How does all this work in health care?
Four Years After COVID-19: What Has the Infection Prevention Community Learned?
March 15th 2024Four years ago today, March 15, 2020, the COVID-19 lockdown began, and since then, the world has undergone significant changes. It has been a terrifying experience for everyone, especially for the infection prevention community, both within and outside of the health care sector. However, a crucial question remains unanswered: What has the infection prevention community learned from this pandemic, and where does it go from here?
COVID-19 Harmonization: Balancing Risks and Benefits of CDC's Latest Move
March 11th 2024The CDC's recent decision to align recommendations for respiratory viruses, particularly COVID-19, has garnered support from the public and infectious disease societies. However, as the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) lends its backing to the CDC's harmonization efforts, concerns persist regarding the implications of this shift, especially considering the Omicron variant's unique characteristics and the ongoing challenges posed by COVID-19's multi-system impacts.