Cleaning house after a case of Covid-19

Some experts believe the bed clothes and laundry of a Covid-19 patient need to be handled with caution and separately, while others think it doesn’t matter. — dpa

If someone in your home becomes infected with Covid-19, they should self-isolate in their room, and if personal interaction is necessary, wear a face mask and observe physical distancing.

But what household cleaning and disinfecting measures should be taken during the illness and after the person has recovered?

Many people feel compelled to scrub down the home from top to bottom and disinfect all surfaces, but is this really necessary?

Experts disagree.

Germany’s Federal Centre for Health Education (BZgA) recommends that frequently touched surfaces, such as light switches, door handles, bath and toilet surfaces, and smartphones, be cleaned daily with a common household cleansing agent during an infection.

Although the SARS-CoV-2 virus is transmitted mainly by airborne particles, the BZgA notes that virus-bearing particles released by coughing, sneezing or speaking can adhere to surfaces, particularly those in close proximity to an infected person.

Infectious diseases expert and German Society of Hospital Hygiene (DGKH) board of directors spokesman Dr Peter Walger takes a different view.

He says it’s “absolutely unnecessary” to clean your home from top to bottom and disinfect all surfaces after a household member’s infection with Covid-19.

“Infections aren’t transmitted this way,” he asserts.

“Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes Covid-19) occurs essentially via respiration.

“The nose, mouth and throat area is the entry site of the virus, and we have practically no evidence that inanimate surfaces are a significant indirect transmission path.”

It’s another matter, however, if you touch respiratory secretions, he says.

“In other words, someone coughs, you touch the mucus or phlegm with your hands and then touch the mucous membrane of your nose, mouth and throat area.

“But who touches something that’s obviously been coughed up or spat out by someone?

“You don’t, if only because it’s revolting.”

And if you think you may have accidentally done so, he adds, then wash your hands with soap and water.

Families with a baby or very young children will point out that little ones naturally drool and can’t blow their nose by themselves.

But here too, Dr Walger recommends no special precautions other than more frequent handwashing.

During an acute infection, he says, you should practice physical distancing if you can, and if you can’t, adults should wear a face mask and wash their hands often.

Even in the bathroom the risk of transmission is low, so long as household members use the washbasin one after another during an infection “and rinse away everything and clean it normally, after washing their hands and face or spitting out their nasal contents,” he says.

“There’s no reason to disinfect all surfaces in the bathroom either,” he adds, a view shared by the BZgA, which generally doesn’t recommend disinfecting door handles, light switches, toilet seats and other surfaces in the home.

But it says exceptions are sometimes warranted, e.g. to protect people in high-risk groups.

In these cases, a virus-killing agent should be used that’s labelled “limited virucidal”, “limited virucidal plus” or “virucidal.”

Dr Walger and the BZgA disagree on proper hygiene for bed linen, which collects sweat and saliva at night.

According to Dr Walger, it requires no special treatment either during or after a person’s Covid-19 infection.

The BZgA, on the other hand, recommends that an infected person’s bed linen be put in a separate laundry bag and not directly touched or shaken.

Along with towels used by the person, it should be washed at a temperature of at least 60°C, with a detergent that can be used for all programmes and temperatures. – By Simone Andrea Mayer/dpa