Mass disinfections ‘pose health hazard’
Experts say sprays a waste of resources
SURABAYA: A drone dispersed clouds of disinfectant in the sky above Indonesia’s second-largest city Surabaya on Tuesday, a response to the coronavirus pandemic which is catching on around the world despite warnings from health experts.
Mass disinfections, often by workers in protective gear resembling characters from the comedy film Ghostbusters, have become a common sight — from Turkey’s Grand Bazaar to bridges in Mexico and migrant workers in India.
But the visually impressive measures taken to contain the fast-spreading virus which has killed over 37,000 people globally, have been criticised by disease specialists as a health hazard as well as a waste of time and resources.
“It’s a ridiculous image seen in many countries,” said Dale Fisher, an infectious diseases expert in Singapore who chairs the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network coordinated by the World Health Organization.
“I don’t believe it adds anything to the response and could be toxic on people. The virus does not survive for long in the environment and people do not generally touch the ground.”
A spokesman for Surabaya’s mayor said the use of drones for disinfection was necessary in areas with confirmed cases because the virus “can be anywhere”.
Febriadhitya Prajatara compared the benzalkonium chloride disinfectant, which can cause skin irritations in high concentrations, to “soap” and said it would help “weaken the virus”.
Coronavirus is a contagious respiratory disease that spreads through droplets from the nose or mouth via coughing or sneezing. People can also become infected by contacting something contaminated before touching their own nose, mouth or eyes.
Surabaya local Ali Sarwono welcomed the city’s initiative. “A drone can disinfect everywhere, including the rooftops. If it is done manually [by workers], all they can reach are the tops of the fences,” he said.
Paul Tambyah of the Asia Pacific Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infection said handwashing and targeted cleaning of commonly touched surfaces like elevator buttons offered better protection than mass disinfecting.
“[Spraying] is probably a cheap and visible way of doing it, but careful attention to personal and environmental hygiene is probably more effective,” said Mr Tambyah.
Leong Hoe Nam, an infectious disease expert at Singapore’s Mount Elizabeth hospital, said mass disinfections are eye-catching and may boost morale but are not effective virus controls.
“It would have better effect using a water cannon to disperse people and make them go home,” he said.