According to the updated guidelines published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday, the risk of getting a COVID-19 infection from infected surfaces is very low.
“It is possible for people to become infected through contact with infected surfaces or objects (fomites), but the risk is generally considered low,” the agency said.
The CDC says the most important way people become infected with SARS-CoV-2 virus is exposure to respiratory droplets. While not impossible, the agency said the risk of infection by fomites is ‘generally less than 1 in 10,000’.
The CDC leadership, which has been in the pandemic for more than a year, is the strongest argument so far against what some critics call ‘hygiene theater’.
Despite the fact that CDC scientists have been fairly certain since at least last year that the transmission is almost entirely by air particles, the institutions still insisted on strict disinfection protocols, such as constantly wiping shared surfaces with disinfectant and schools and metros to close. for “deep cleaning.”
According to CDC, cleaning surfaces with soap or detergent, and not disinfecting, is enough to reduce the risk in most situations.
“There is little scientific support for the use of disinfectants in community settings, inside or outside, to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2 from fomites,” the agency said. “In public spaces and community settings, available epidemiological data … indicate that the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission from fomites is low – compared to the risks through direct contact, droplet transmission or airborne transmission.”
Disinfection is recommended in indoor environments where there has been a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 during the past 24 hours, the CDC said.
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The transfer of the surface can be reduced by wearing masks consistently and correctly, as well as proper hand washing, the agency said.