Since the outbreak of Covid-19 in Zimbabwe, most supermarkets and shops across the country implemented various measures to control the spread of the coronavirus, which causes the disease.
Apart from enforcing physical distancing, some of these measures included installing automatic hand sanitising equipment by entrances and exit points, manually sanitising people.
But is the sanitisation and spraying of surfaces and even food safe recommended in the fight against Covid-19?
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) spraying or misting surfaces further disperses and spreads the virus.
WHO further states that spraying of individuals with disinfectants is not recommended under any circumstances.
“This practice could be physically and psychologically harmful and would not reduce an infected person’s ability to spread the virus through droplets or contact. The toxic effect of spraying with chemicals on individuals can lead to eye and skin irritation, bronchospasm due to inhalation, and potentially gastrointestinal effects such as nausea and vomiting,” said the global health authority.
Instead of spraying, WHO recommends that people must wash hands with soap and water or sanitise with an alcohol based hand gel before touching surfaces, items, food, pets and people.For food, WHO said fruits and vegetables must be thoroughly washed with clean potable water, which would be sufficient.
