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Public Health England claims the widespread transmission of coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is now “highly likely”.
More than 98,000 have contracted the new virus since December 2019, and over 3,300 people have died from the associated respiratory disease (COVID-19).
The present mortality rate of 3.4% may be lower than the 2003 SARS outbreak (9.6%), and significantly less than the MERS outbreak in 2012 (36%) but this could rise dramatically as the new coronavirus spreads.
With a vaccine likely to take months to develop, the immediate focus is on environmental and personal infection control.
Despite growing fears around how fast coronavirus is transmitted, part of the solution could lie in the powerful disinfectant product called OptiZil, by CleanCert.
While the current coronavirus is not available for testing, evidence of tests into similar viruses suggests that OptiZil could provide a vital barrier to transmission.
In a recent scientific whitepaper released on March 2nd, 2020, CleanCert highlights the positive results in scientific tests carried out under British standards into the effectiveness of OptiZil against
- hard-to-kill viruses including norovirus, parvovirus and hepatitis A & E; and
- easier to kill viruses such as influenza, HIV, and hepatitis B & C.
Influenza, HIV, and hepatitis B & C are known as ‘enveloped viruses’. They have a lipid-layer envelope or fat-live substance that the virus uses to attach itself to the host cell.
The new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is also an enveloped virus.
The good news is that destroying the envelope before you become infected deactivates the virus, rendering it harmless.
However, coronaviruses typically live on surfaces for many hours.
The fact that the 2003 SARS-CoV virus survived on surfaces for up to 96 hours in tests is critically important. It’s essential as scientists now believe the latest 2019 coronavirus is genetically closer to the 2003 version than it is to influenza.
The findings explain the direction health professionals are taking by advising people to frequently wash hands thoroughly, especially before touching the mouth and face.
The advice also extends to avoid casual physical contact and even using a pen to operate buttons in a lift.
In reality, managing the risk of infection has challenging implications: If coronavirus can survive on surfaces for up to 4 days, it won’t be possible to rely on washing hands alone.
Bleach may be effective against some viruses on hard surfaces, but the strong-smelling toxic nature means it cannot be used on the skin or in confined areas.
By comparison, many safety-conscious practices choose OptiZil to maintain effective clinical infection control.
Unlike bleach-based disinfectant, the active ingredient in OptiZil is the same chemical released by the human immune defence system to protect against infection.
So OptiZil is non-toxic, biodegradable and has no long-term health risks, even with frequent use.
OptiZil has been available as a surface disinfect in 1L and 5L containers — plus packs of 50 disinfectant wipes for some time.
Now, OptiZil is available in 100ml spray bottles for use as a hand sanitizer. The bottle is perfectly sized to fit in a handbag or messenger bag, even in a jacket or jeans pocket.
Often, people turn to alcohol-based hand sanitizers, yet this might not always be effective in real-world scenarios.
In one study published in medical journals (Rabenau et al. (2005)), tests showed that alcohol gels are not effective in some “dirty” conditions. The results pose a question mark over the use of alcohol sanitizers if you are not in a position to wash your hands first.
Moreover, a 2009 study published by the American Society for Microbiology tested the effectiveness of various disinfectants on norovirus using the ‘standard fingerpad method’.
The results showed that an alcohol-based sanitizer is “relatively” ineffective, which means the current advice to use a pen to push lift door buttons is not without merit.
The impact of the new coronavirus outbreak is yet to be fully realised — and people and businesses are steadying themselves for the worst.
Yet despite the seeming inevitability of the situation, destroying the virus before it has an opportunity to infect remains a crucial focus of attention.
Further reading
If you’d like like to learn more about the history of coronaviruses, the impact of the latest variant, and the science behind preventing infection, you can download the 2020 scientific whitepaper prepared by Cleancert here:
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Where to purchase OptiZil
If you are a business looking to use OptiZil for disinfecting workplaces and practices, you can purchase the product in 1L and 5L containers here:
If you are a consumer looking to purchase OptiZil to use as a hand sanitizer, or a pack of disinfectant wipes to use in your home, you can buy the product here:
Retail price policy
CleanCert operates a strict retail price policy and discourages the practice of stockists increasing prices in times of high demand.