Surface Cleaning Guidance for COVID-19 Virus Changed

As scientific evidence continues to accumulate during the COVID-19 pandemic, clinical understandings about the SARS-CoV-2 virus has changed. According to a new article published by Nature on January 29, 2021, the majority of virus transmissions occur as a result of infected people spewing large droplets, and small particles called aerosols when they cough, talk or breathe.

Although possible, the surface transmission is not thought to be a significant risk of spreading this betacoronavirus.

That doesn’t mean that cleaning doorknobs and other surfaces are pointless, but scientists say it needn’t be a priority.

In fact, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) clarified its guidance about surface transmission on October 5, 2020, stating that this route is “not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.” It now states that transmission through surfaces is “not thought to be a common way that COVID-19 spreads”.

The CDC continues to believe, based on current science, 'that people are more likely to become infected the longer and closer they are to a person infectious with COVID-19.'