A recent study has underscored the importance of high-quality hand hygiene practices in the fight against COVID-19 by demonstrating the amount of time SARS-CoV-2 can remain resident on human skin.
Washing Hands and Saving Lives--The Fight Against SARS-CoV-2
Regularly washing your hands with soap and water and applying hand sanitizer is a well-documented method for killing germs and staying healthy.
Recent studies have demonstrated just how important hand hygiene is in the fight against SARS-CoV-2, reporting that:
- The virus is more easily killed on the skin than other surfaces, such as cardboard or stainless steel, and;
- Ethanol-based hand sanitizers killed the virus on the skin within 15 seconds.
This is outstanding news because the study also discovered that SARS-CoV-2 could survive on human skin for up to nine hours when covered in mucus.
For comparison, influenza can only survive on human skin for approximately two hours under the same conditions.
The study concluded;
SARS-CoV-2 and IAV were inactivated more rapidly on skin surfaces than on other surfaces (stainless steel/glass/plastic); the survival time was significantly longer for SARS-CoV-2 than for IAV [9.04 h (95% confidence interval: 7.96–10.2 h) vs. 1.82 h (1.65–2.00 h)].
IAV on other surfaces was inactivated faster in mucus versus medium conditions, while SARS-CoV-2 showed similar stability in the mucus and medium; the survival time was significantly longer for SARS-CoV-2 than for IAV [11.09 h (10.22–12.00 h) vs. 1.69 h (1.57–1.81 h)].
Moreover, both SARS-CoV-2 and IAV in the mucus/medium on human skin were completely inactivated within 15 s by ethanol treatment.
The 9-h survival of SARS-CoV-2 on human skin may increase the risk of contact transmission in comparison with IAV, thus accelerating the pandemic.
Proper hand hygiene is important to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2 infections.
Survival of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus on the human skin: Importance of hand hygiene in COVID-19
Protecting Your Hands From Damage and Infection
It would seem logical that the more concerned a person is regarding direct contact with known or potentially contaminated surfaces, the more they should wash their hands.
However, additional research demonstrates that a more rational approach that considers the damage done to hands and the resulting increased potential for exposure that occurs with excessive hand washing is necessary.
According to the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology;
The enhanced preventive measures during the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic include proper hand hygiene.
Health care workers (HCWs) may perform frequent handwashing with water and soap, leading to the potential complication of skin damage.
In Lan et al's survey1 of 526 front-line COVID-19 HCWs, 74.5% reported damage to hand skin from enhanced infection prevention measures.
HCWs who washed their hands more than 10 times per day reported more damage to hand skin (odds ratio, 2.17).
This skin damage creates a route of entry for COVID-19, and basic skin care measures should be taken after handwashing to address this.
Rational hand hygiene during the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic
Recommended methods for hand protection include:
- Wearing gloves.
- Avoiding the use of hot water.
- Using ethanol-based hand sanitizer, and;
- Applying hypoallergenic moisturizing cream.
Cleaning to Remove Coronavirus
In addition to surviving for several hours on your skin, SARS-CoV-2 has been shown to survive on surfaces commonly found in offices in classrooms, specifically:
- Cardboard - 24 hours, and;
- Stainless Steel - Up to 72 hours.
These findings underscore the importance of maintaining high standards of facility hygiene and cleanliness through:
- Regular decluttering of paper and cardboard material.
- Routine trash haul-aways, and;
- The implementation of regular surface cleaning and disinfection services.
References & Resources
- Researchers Test How Long SARS-CoV-2 Survives On Skin
- How long does COVID-19 survive on skin? New study shows the importance of hand washing
- CDC: Getting rid of coronavirus on surfaces takes ‘one-two punch’
- Dr. Frank McGeorge: Tracking coronavirus on surfaces
Takeaway
As time progresses, our knowledge regarding the nature and transmission of SARS-CoV-2 increases, as well as the short and long-term consequences of certain actions and behaviors used to combat the spread of the infection.
Handwashing continues to be one of the best methods for eliminating the spread of the virus and ensuring personal health and safety.
Still, it has become increasingly clear that protective measures must be employed to protect ourselves from too much of a good thing.
One method for protecting our hands from becoming contaminated is to regularly clean and disinfect facility surfaces throughout the day using proven enhanced cleaning and disinfection services.
A proven and cost-effective method for ensuring the highest cleanliness and safety standards is outsourcing daily and specialized custodial services to an experienced service provider.
If you would like more information regarding the effectiveness of high-performance infection prevention and control measures, or if you would like to schedule a free, no-obligation onsite assessment of your facility's custodial needs, contact us today for a free quote!
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