Hello! I have been a doctor for 21 years. My name is Georgy Olegovich Sapego. In this article I will talk about processing at home and note important points that not everyone gets.
The coronavirus that causes COVID-19 can persist on a variety of surfaces and objects for hours to days.
You can get infected through such dirty objects and surfaces.
If we clean and wash surfaces, then we do not kill the virus, but we can wash it off. It is also good. There will be fewer viruses and it will be more difficult to get infected. In addition, washing removes the film of dried snot and exposes the virus for further disinfection.
Besides washing and cleaning, we can simply disinfect surfaces. Dirt and viruses will not be washed off, but some of the viruses will die.
It is better to wash first and then disinfect.
If no one is sick at home
Even if no one nearby sneezes or coughs, then during an epidemic it is useful to wash and disinfect those at home. objects that different people touch: doorknobs, light switches, refrigerator handles, sinks, toilet. Because in our arms we bring the infection home from the street.
There are a bunch of different household cleaning products for this kind of disinfection. They say how to use and how not to harm yourself with chemistry. Be sure to read instructions, dilute chemicals correctly, wear gloves, and ventilate the area well when using household cleaners.
The standard products that can be used to disinfect such common areas are alcohol and bleach.
Disinfecting alcohol is usually sold as a wipe with ethyl or isopropyl alcohol. Ethyl is needed at a concentration of 70%, and isopropyl can be 50%.
Bleach is usually sold as a mixture of sodium hypochlorite solutions with detergents. Its in such funds is usually about 3 - 6%.
Manufacturers can write exactly "hypochlorite" or something like "chlorine-containing substance". It is almost certainly the same hypochlorite. For disinfection, it should be at a concentration of 0.1%. That is, if the hypochlorite in a bottle of cleaning agent is at a concentration of 5%, then you need to take 4 teaspoons (20 milliliters) and dilute in one liter of water. It turns out just a 0.1% solution.
It is very important to wear gloves, ventilate the area and not mix bleach with ammonia or other agents. Otherwise, you can get poisonous gas.
Chlorhexidine has no effect on viruses. Forget about it!
If someone is sick at home
Firstly, you need to explain to your family member to cover up a cough, wash your hands and not spread the infection throughout the house.
The patient is moved to a separate room.
There are many more surfaces to disinfect. In addition to door handles, the surfaces of common tables and common wooden or plastic chairs should be treated. That is, a sick person will already be covered with infectious snot and saliva, so he can spread them not only with his hands, but also with all parts of the body.
The patient's room must be cleaned once a day. And first, all surfaces are washed with detergents, and only then they are disinfected. This is important, because not just drops of water fly out of the patient, but thick mucus that preserves the virus inside itself. This mucus must first be washed out.
It is advisable to keep a separate set of detergents and disinfectants in the patient's room. True, if this is a sick child or an elderly person who is not all right with his head, then it is better not to leave chemicals to him.
Gotta wait
This point does not reach everyone. Read carefully. The patient is usually moved to a separate room, and once again it is better not to clean anything there.
Well, that is, visible dirt in the form of spilled soup, poop or snot must be cleaned out, but it is better not to go there again. As much as you want to take care of a sick family member, you don't need to wipe every sneeze with bleach. This will catch the virus.
If the patient went to the common bathroom or toilet, then not AFTER HIM, but HE himself should disinfect everything there, if possible. If he cannot do this, then healthy family members need to wait as long as possible and only then disinfect everything there.
This is important because the virus cannot live on surfaces indefinitely. He will die sooner or later. If you're lucky, he'll die in a few hours.
In addition, the virus usually does not fly through the air and will quickly settle down or fly into the ventilation.
How to disinfect
This must be done with gloves. Throw away gloves after use. If the gloves are reusable, keep them together with chemicals and do not use for other purposes such as dishwashing.
If the person spits or vomits on porous material such as a rug, sofa upholstery, or curtain, wipe off any visible dirt, and then either wash at the highest temperature possible for this material, or clean it with a porous cleaner with an antiseptic action. That is, all kinds of oxygen-containing carpet products are likely to kill the virus.
Do not shake dirty things, but put them in the washer right away!
What will be the questions?
Check out previous articles on this topic:
Homemade mask: official American standard
Coronavirus and the disease it causes
Masks and coronavirus: how to wear and where to wear
