From playgrounds to doorknobs to your mail, here’s the best we can find.
By Kristen LeFevers
Hard surfaces:
The virus that causes COVID-19 can survive on hard surfaces, such as plastic and stainless steel, for up to 72 hours, according to James Lloyd-Smith, assistant professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of California, NPR reports. This means that counters, tabletops, doorknobs, children’s hard toys, phones and devices and other flat, hard surfaces should be regularly disinfected.
Cardboard:
The same unpublished study said the virus did not survive beyond 24 hours on cardboard.
While it can last that long, people are not likely to catch COVID-19 by handling mail, Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security, says.
Wash your hands after handling the mail to be sure, she said. If you’re still concerned, however, there’s nothing wrong with wiping down packages and their contents once they’re delivered.
In the absence of more specific recommendations, Read Aloud treats glossy book covers like hard surfaces and regularly disinfects them.
Playgrounds:
Dr. Jenny Radesky, a developmental behavioral pediatrician at the University of Michigan, recommends against playgrounds, where germs can accumulate. Sunshine is a good disinfectant, but the effect of the sun’s rays on the new coronavirus is not yet known, reports the New York Times. However, all public health sources recommend children and adults go outside, for both physical and mental health, as long as they keep at least six feet from people from other households.
How to clean your house:
Clean high-traffic areas of your house daily with soapy water, a soap spray or disinfecting wipes, and then wash hands (and gloves, if you use them) afterward, recommends the New York Times.
Think door knobs, light switches, refrigerator and microwave doors, drawer handles, remote controls, counters and table tops, toilet handles, faucet handles.
Soap or hand sanitizer?
Hand sanitizer is great if you don’t have access to soap and water, but it turns out that old-fashioned soap and water are more effective, according to a recent article from Vox.
That’s because soap pulls the virus apart and makes it water-soluble, causing it to disintegrate, Palli Thordarson, a chemistry professor at the University of South Wales, has told several publications and posted on Twitter.
Technique matters. As all the posters show, wash hands with soap for at least 20 seconds. Rub all parts of the hands, including fingernails, between fingers, and the backs of hands.
Kristen LeFevers is a senior in English at the University of Charleston.