After diligent scrub-downs using disinfectants of surfaces, chairs, tables, handrails, pews, and the like, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now says, “the risk of infection from touching a surface is low.”
Instead, the agency says the most reliable way for individuals to prevent infection is with old-fashioned hand-washing or hand sanitizer. The CDC’s new guidance on surface contamination, issued April 5, does not apply to health care settings unspecified “other facilities,” as stated on its website.
Since the beginning of the public health emergency declaration, the subject of surface contamination has been a source of confusion. On March 17, 2020, the National Institutes of Health, stated the “new coronavirus (is) stable for hours on surfaces,” and that individuals should “clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.”
On May 22, 2020, the CDC appeared to lighten up on that guidance only to quickly dial back. dialed back. When media outlets reported the change in language, CDC retracted and stated, “the change was intended to make it easier to read, and not a result of new science.”
-Staff reports
