The risk of getting a COVID-19 infection on contaminated surfaces is extremely low, according to the updated guide published Monday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“People may be infected through contact with contaminated surfaces or objects (fomites), but the risk is generally considered low,” the agency said.
The main way people are infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus is through exposure to respiratory droplets, the CDC said. Although not impossible, the agency said the risk of fomite infection is “generally less than 1 in 10,000.”
The CDC’s orientation, which has been in a pandemic for more than a year, is the strongest argument so far against what some critics have called “hygiene theater.”
Despite the fact that CDC scientists have been fairly confident since last spring that the transmission is almost entirely by airborne particles, the units have continued to insist on strict sanitation protocols, such as the constant wiping of surfaces. common with disinfectant and the closure of schools and subways for “deep cleaning”.
According to the CDC, cleaning surfaces with soap or detergent and without disinfection is sufficient to reduce the risk in most situations.
“There is little scientific support for the routine use of disinfectants in the community, either indoors or outdoors, to prevent the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from fomites,” the agency said. “In public spaces and community settings, available epidemiological data … indicate that the risk of transmitting SARS-CoV-2 from fomites is low – compared to the risks of direct contact, drip transmission or airborne transmission.”
Disinfection is recommended in the indoor community, where there has been a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, the CDC said.
CDC Director Rochelle WalenskyRochelle Walensky Hill’s Morning Report – Biden’s Infrastructure Plan Triggers Debate Definition Fauci Supports Vaccinations: “This Won’t Last Forever” he told reporters that other strategies used, such as fog, fumigation and electrostatic spraying, are not at all recommended as the main methods of disinfection due to safety risks.
Surface transmission can be reduced by wearing masks constantly and correctly, as well as by washing your hands properly, the agency said.