Lysol disinfectants can kill the coronavirus in 2 minutes: Here is how to keep your surfaces germ-free

Since this virus can spread via casual contact, you need to disinfect surfaces frequently. The EPA has recently approved the use of Lysol's disinfectant spray for this purpose.

The virus that causes COVID-19 remains for several hours to days on surfaces. According to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine, the virus can survive for up to four hours on copper, up to 24 hours on cardboard and up to two to three days on plastic and stainless steel. The virus can easily thrive on everyday surfaces in a household or hospital setting. It can be deposited onto these surfaces by an infected person who may cough on or touch objects. Since this virus can spread via casual contact, you need to disinfect surfaces frequently to contain the spread of the pathogen. There are many disinfectants that you can use for this purpose. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has also recently approved the use of Lysol's disinfectant spray to protect against this new variant of coronavirus.

Disinfect frequently and be safe

Two products, Lysol Disinfectant Spray and Lysol Disinfectant Max Cover Mist, are the first disinfectant products to be approved by the EPA as effective against SARS-COV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, the company said Monday. The products were reportedly tested by the EPA in a laboratory and experts saw that they were able to kill the virus on surfaces within two minutes of use. The EPA's approval recognizes that using Lysol Disinfectant Spray can help to prevent the spread of COVID-19 on hard, non-porous surfaces. In the face of the pandemic, Lysol continues to work with a wide range of scientific and health experts to educate the public on the importance of hygiene. In the earlier days of the pandemic, these popular disinfectant cleaners flew off grocery store shelves when Americans began hoarding cleaning products like disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer.

Earlier this year, Reckitt Benckiser, the makers of Lysol, made headlines when the company issued a statement warning customers against any internal use of its products to treat the novel coronavirus after President Trump suggested that receiving an injection could help people who were infected with the virus.

Sanitise or disinfect? Know the difference

There are many ways of cleaning surfaces. You can clean surface wipes by wiping away dirt and impurities. But it may not really kill germs or pathogens. You may also use sanitisers to clean your surfaces. This will reduce the pathogen load of surfaces by killing or removing germs to a certain extent. But if you use disinfectants, you can be sure of getting rid of almost all pathogens on surfaces. These are stronger than sanitisers and normal cleaning agents and are more likely to ill more germs. In fact, the EPA says that sanitizers can kill 99.9 per cent germs. Disinfectants, on the other hand, are stronger chemical agents that can effectively get rid of 99.999 per cent of germs that lurk on hard, non-porous surfaces or objects.

You must use disinfectants to clean surfaces that may be contaminated with bodily fluids, blood, etc. Toilets and sinks are such places that need disinfectants. You can also use it to wipe door handles, floor, kitchen counters and other places that may be dirtier.

(With inputs from Agencies)