But the practice often extends much further. Apparently, any outdoor space is in danger of being targeted by workers using blower-type disinfectants, as China’s strict “zero Covid” policy leads to an obsession with disinfecting everything. In Shanghai, firefighters have been removed from their duties to take on the role of disinfectants, a local youth league has recruited volunteers for disinfection teams, and emergency rescue teams from far-flung China have been recruited on the move – often with straps on. and full ham. In some neighborhoods of Shanghai, special chemical plants have been set up, while in other vehicles they have been equipped with chemical tanks and cannon-like devices to launch disinfectant into the streets, according to local media. Disinfection robots have been deployed at train stations and set up to patrol some quarantine centers. But these efforts – and others, such as insisting on wearing hazmat costumes and recording looped messages reminding people how to prevent the disease – can be a waste of time, effort and resources. Experts say the spread of the virus through contaminated surfaces is extremely low – and that disinfecting outdoor areas such as parks and city streets is largely pointless and even worse, could even endanger public health. . “Robots and street sprays are executive actions designed to boost public confidence in government action,” said Nicholas Thomas, an associate professor at Hong Kong City University. the pollution of the environment as part of their rhetoric. that the virus may not have originated in China. “It is a problem when politics dominates and deviates from the science of dealing with the pandemic – more and more effort must be made to strengthen policy through actions that do not necessarily increase the biosafety of affected populations to the same extent as the effort required to their taking over, “he said.

Imported virus?

Mass disinfection is part of a long-running campaign in China to combat the risk of Covid-19 transmission that much of the world has found too minimal to justify measures beyond hand washing and maintaining disinfection of certain surfaces, such as in crowded public places and where food is handled or patients with Covid-19 are treated. In a scientific brief last year, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that scientific studies suggest that any contact with a surface infected with Covid-19 has a less than 1 in 10,000 chance of causing an infection. Such research has led many to see an overt focus on disinfection as a “theater of hygiene” as opposed to any important disease prevention measure. Mass disinfection was not part of disease control measures in Western countries “because public health authorities followed science,” said Emanuel Goldman, a professor of microbiology at Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School. “(It is) very unlikely that cases will come from contact with infected surfaces. The virus dies quickly outside an infected person … and is transmitted very inefficiently with the fingers,” he said. “Washing your hands with soap or alcohol wipes is all you need to turn off the frequency.” In China, where strict practices have focused on eradicating any spread of the virus, concerns about contaminated surfaces date back to the first months of the pandemic, especially after Chinese officials said an outbreak in a Beijing-based market , frozen salmon infected with virus. Although the World Health Organization says it is “very unlikely” that Covid-19 could infect humans through food or food packaging, Chinese authorities have repeatedly noted cold-chain imports or other contaminated surfaces, such as airplanes or even international correspondence, such as disease carriers. This has led to a number of measures that are largely unique to China, such as controlling the surfaces of imports for virus traces and the mass disinfection of frozen products from abroad, while some cities have issued various orders to disinfect international mail and parcels. Although national Health experts said earlier this year there was insufficient evidence that such cold-chain items could carry the virus. And as Beijing sought to redefine the origins of the coronavirus, first found in China, officials theorized that the virus could have been introduced into frozen products from the start – a case that was widely rejected by international specialists. Although there is some evidence that the virus may remain contagious in frozen packaging, the way in which countries may want to deal with this risk varies, according to Leo Poon, a professor at the University of Hong Kong School of Public Health. “For countries that use an eradication strategy, this is a significant risk. However, for most countries now, this may not be important at all,” he said. But when it comes to touching normal surfaces, this “is not a major mode of transmission for the Covid-19,” he said, adding that some indoor disinfection might be a good idea.

Possible risk

In places like Shanghai, where resources are already scarce as the city struggles through a weeks-long lockdown, the development of volunteers and disinfection workers can focus on the wrong risk. “There really is no role for mass disinfection of outdoor areas, sidewalks and walls. They are unlikely to contaminate or transmit through a mucosal surface (such as eyes, nose or mouth),” said Dale Fisher, a professor at National University. of Yong Loo Lin Medical School, Singapore. There may also be drawbacks to such work, according to Goldman of Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School, who says humans can damage exposure to hard disinfection. While the WHO advocates disinfection such as sweeping areas such as door handles in crowded public places, WHO guidelines state that “spraying disinfectants, even outdoors, can be harmful to human health and cause irritation. or damage to the eyes, respiratory tract or skin. ” Earlier in the day, a team of Chinese scientists warned in a letter to Science magazine that excessive use of chlorine disinfectants could contaminate water and even endanger ecosystems in nearby lakes and rivers. There are indications of similar concerns from the Shanghai authorities, although disinfection measures continue.
Late last month, officials issued recommendations to residents on how to disinfect, urging them not to “spray disinfectants directly on people,” use “canon trucks” and drones, or disinfect the outside air. “These practices are effectively ineffective and can pose risks to health and environmental pollution,” said a Shanghai official.