Spraying Disinfectants Not Safe, WHO Warns

The practice of spraying disinfectant in public spaces is not only ineffective in eliminating the new coronavirus but also represents a health risk, according to a document released Saturday by the World Health Organization (WHO).

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"Even in the absence of organic matter, chemical spraying is unlikely to adequately cover all surfaces for the duration of the required contact time needed to inactivate pathogens," the text explains.

As stated in the document, sanitizers are ineffective when applied to dirty or debris-filled surfaces, so the outdoor spraying of these substances does not eliminate the COVID-19 virus nor other pathogens.

For the organization, the practice of fumigating with these substances can be truly harmful to human health, and under no circumstances, the disinfectant should be sprayed on an individual.

"The spraying of chlorine or other toxic chemicals on people can cause eye and skin irritation, bronchospasms and gastrointestinal effects," the document warns, adding that this practice could be also physically and psychologically aggressive, and would not reduce people's ability to spread the virus through contact or saliva drops.

Although the virus allegedly can attach itself to surfaces and objects, the period of time in which it remains infectious on them is still unknown. Therefore, the WHO recommends that if a surface needs to be disinfected, the most effective way to do so is to use a cloth soaked in disinfectant.

As of Monday, there are over 4.8 million infected cases with 1.9 recovered and more than 320,000 deaths worldwide.