The World Health Organization says spraying is ineffective in a document to clean and disinfect surfaces as part of a response to the virus.
“Spraying or fumigating doodle spaces, such as streets or marketplaces … COVID-19 is not recommended to kill the virus or other pathogens because the disinfectants disinfect the dirt and debris,” the WHO explains.
“Even in the absence of biomass, chemical spraying may not cover all surfaces adequately for the contact time required to deactivate pathogens.”
The WHO said that streets and sidewalks are not considered COVID-19’s “reservoirs of infection,” and that disinfectant spraying can be dangerous to human health.
The document also stresses that spraying individuals with disinfectants is “not recommended under any circumstances.”
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“This can be physically and mentally harmful and does not reduce the patient’s ability to transmit the virus through drops or contacts,” the document states.
It adds that spraying chlorine or other toxic chemicals in people can cause eye, skin irritation, bronchospasm, and gastrointestinal effects.
The organization warns against the systematic spraying and fumigating of disinfectants in indoor spaces, citing a study that has proven ineffective outside of direct spraying areas.
“If you want to use a disinfectant, you have to do it with a cloth or wipe with a disinfectant,” it says.
The SARS-CoV-2 virus, which caused the pandemic, which killed more than 300,000 people worldwide after its appearance in China at the end of December, is able to contact itself with surfaces and materials.
However, there is currently no known data on the extent to which viruses continue to spread on various surfaces.
Studies have shown that the virus can persist for several days on many surfaces. However, these maximum lengths are theoretical because they are documented in laboratory situations and must be interpreted with caution in a real-world environment.