EPA Releases List of Best Disinfectants to Use Against Coronavirus

Hand sanitizer, cleaning wipes, and tissues sit on a meeting room table as seen through a
Ted S. Warren/AP Photo
Amy Furr

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a list Tuesday of qualified disinfectants to use for protection against the coronavirus.

“The EPA-registered disinfectant products on our Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2 list have qualified under EPA’s emerging viral pathogen program for use against SARS-CoV-2, a coronavirus that causes COVID-19,” the website stated.

Coronaviruses are enveloped viruses, which means they are among the easiest types to kill with the appropriate disinfectant, according to the EPA.

There may be additional disinfectants that meet the criteria for use against SARS-CoV-2. EPA will update this list with additional products as needed,” the agency stated.

Some of the product brands on the EPA’s list include:

  • Clorox Healthcare Bleach Germicidal Cleaner Spray
  • Clorox Disinfecting Wipes
  • Lysol Disinfectant Max Cover Mist
  • Professional Lysol Disinfectant Spray
  • Purell Professional Surface Disinfectant Wipes
  • Peak Disinfectant Wipes
  • Sani-Prime Germicidal Spray
  • Sani-Cloth Prime Germicidal Disposable Wipe

The virus is believed to be spread by people in close contact with each other and through respiratory droplets produced when a person infected with the virus coughs or sneezes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) website.

“It may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads,” the site read.

In a press release Thursday, EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said using the right disinfectant is a huge part of preventing and reducing the spread of illness.

“There is no higher priority for the Trump Administration than protecting the health and safety of Americans,” he noted, adding, “EPA is providing this important information in a public and transparent manner on disinfectant products to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.”

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