Understanding Coronavirus
What is Coronavirus
According to the World Health Organization[i], Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV)
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What is 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)
The 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a new strain of coronavirus that was first identified during an investigation into an outbreak in Wuhan, China. It’s important to note that how easily a virus spreads person-to-person can vary. Some viruses are highly contagious, while other viruses are less so. Investigations are ongoing to better understand the transmissibility, severity, and other features associated with COVID-19, but there are indications that person-to-person spread is occurring[ii].
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Know the Coronavirus Symptoms
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the USA, patients with confirmed COVID-19 infections have reported mild to severe respiratory illnesses with symptoms including:
- Fever
- Cough
- Shortness of breath
CDC believes at this time that symptoms of COVID-19 may appear in as few as 2 days or as long as 14 days after exposure. This is based on what has been seen previously as the incubation period of MERS viruses.[iii]
How Coronavirus is Spread
The CDC states[iv] that coronaviruses most commonly spread from an infected person to others through:
- the air by coughing and sneezing
- close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands
- touching an object or surface with the virus on it, then touching your mouth, nose, or eyes before washing your hands
- rarely, fecal contamination
Currently, it’s unclear how easily or sustainably COVID-19 is spreading between people. There is much more to learn about the transmissibility, severity, and other features associated with COVID-19 and investigations are ongoing.
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How to help protect from the Coronavirus
The best way to protect yourself is avoid being exposed to the virus. The CDC always recommends[v] simple everyday preventative steps to help prevent the spread of respiratory virus, including:
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces
- Stay home when you are sick
- Cover your cough or sneeze, preferably with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the bin
As with all infectious diseases, good hygiene can play a role in controlling its spread. However, the most important public health recommendation is that people report to the nearest health care provider if they develop any symptoms indicative of Coronavirus. Call the office of your health care provider before you go and tell them about any previous travel and your symptoms. They will give you instructions on how to get care without exposing other people to your illness.
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Does Dettol kill Viruses?
Dettol is proven to kill 99.9% of Germs which includes Bacteria, Viruses & Fungi. On virus specifically, Dettol is also proven to kill 99.9% viruses such as Influenza, Swine Flu and previous strains of Coronavirus such as SARS, MERS and Human Corona Virus. Viruses are surrounded by an envelope, with receptors that enable them to enter a human cell and cause infection. Dettol products destroy the outer layer of the virus which kills the virus and makes it unable to enter human cells.
Why are there different active ingredients used in Dettol?
Dettol as a brand focuses on providing a full portfolio of disinfectant and cleaning products across both Personal Care and Surface Care segments, which are focused on ‘breaking the chain of infection’ at all relevant consumer touchpoints whether in the home with surface disinfection, on the hands or out of home. Because of the many different surfaces Dettol treats (skin, hard surface, soft surface etc) – this requires us to use the best possible product / active system most applicable for the particular surface we are disinfecting taking into account safety, regulatory and efficacy requirements.
Do Dettol products contain alcohol?
Dettol products use a range of active ingredients including alcohol in order to kill viruses and bacteria. All active ingredients used are proven to kill viruses with the same efficacy as alcohol. The choice of which active ingredient is used in each product is dependent on the use of the product. Because Dettol offers product range to disinfect across many different surfaces such as skin, hard surfaces and soft surfaces, this requires us to use the best possible active ingredients most applicable for the particular surface we are disinfecting taking into account safety, regulatory and efficacy requirements.
Is alcohol more effective than Dettol in killing viruses?
Dettol is as effective as Alcohol in disinfecting and killing bacteria & viruses. Alcohol is one of many active ingredients used in Dettol products use in order to kill viruses and bacteria. All active ingredients used are proven to kill viruses with the same efficacy as alcohol. The choice of which active ingredient is used is dependent on the use of the product. Because Dettol offers product range to disinfect across many different surfaces such as skin, hard surfaces and soft surfaces, this requires us to use the best possible active ingredients most applicable for the particular surface we are disinfecting taking into account safety, regulatory and efficacy requirements.
Does Dettol kill the Coronavirus (COVID-19)?
2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a new strain of coronavirus. It is not yet available for commercial testing.
Specific Dettol products have demonstrated effectiveness (>99.9% inactivation) against coronavirus strains from the same family as the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in third party laboratory testing, when used in accordance with the directions for use. These products are: Dettol Antibacterial Surface Cleanser Spray, Dettol Antibacterial Surface Cleanser Wipes, Dettol All-In-One Disinfectant Spray, and Dettol Disinfectant Liquid.
Given the structural similarities of the COVID-19 virus to the coronavirus strains tested previously (SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, Human Coronavirus), and based on the evidence available to us, we would expect our Dettol products (listed above) to be effective against the new strain. Definitive scientific confirmation of this, as with all other commercially available virucides, can only be provided once testing against COVID-19 Coronavirus has been conducted, following release of the strain by relevant health authorities.
The CDC and World Health Organization specifically advises people to wash hands often with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer as a key preventative measure against the spread Coronavirus COVID-19. A good quality disinfectant will help reduce risk to families. Our Dettol Hand Sanitizers use ethanol (alcohol) as the germ disinfection active ingredient in line with CDC and WHO recommendations.
Please refer to the NHS website at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/wuhan-novel-coronavirus/ and/or the WHO website at https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus and/or the CDC website at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/ for additional information.
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For more in-depth articles and information please also visit COVID-19FACTS.COM
References
[i] https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus
[ii] https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/
[iii] https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/symptoms.html
[iv] https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/about/ transmission.html
[v] https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/prevention-treatment.html