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EPA approves new disinfectant sprays that can kill coronavirus on surfaces

Published Jul 8th, 2020 4:26PM EDT
Coronavirus Disinfectants
Image: Sipa USA via AP

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  • New coronavirus disinfectants that can kill the virus on surfaces were just approved by the Environmental Protection Agency.
  • The two new products are Lysol variations, including Lysol Disinfectant Spray and Lysol Disinfectant Max Cover Mist.
  • The products work only on surfaces, where they can kill the virus in about two minutes.

If you don’t want to risk being infected with the coronavirus, avoid going to crowded places, wash your hands often, clean surfaces often, and wear a mask in public. That’s all you can do the reduce the risk of infection, but there’s no way to completely eliminate it. Whether your community is experiencing a massive resurgence or if it’s been able to flatten the curve, you should continue to respect these rules to keep yourself and your loved ones safe.

The good news is that these methods work, and they’ll continue to buy us time until better drugs are available to treat the infection. Until then, you should continue restocking on face masks and cleaning supplies. While you’re at it, you might want to look for two brand new Lysol disinfectant sprays that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) just approved for use against COVID-19.

Lysol Disinfectant Spray and Lysol Disinfectant Max Cover Mist are both effective at preventing the virus from spreading via surfaces. The products kill the coronavirus two minutes after contact on hard surfaces, ABC News reports.

“EPA is committed to identifying new tools and providing accurate and up-to-date information to help the American public protect themselves and their families from the novel coronavirus,” EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said.

The new Lysol disinfectants are hardly the only products that can kill the virus. Plenty of similar products work on surfaces and should be used at home on every surface touched by multiple people. This includes handles, doorknobs, counters, and anything else that you share with others. Research has shown that the virus can survive for hours or even days on certain surfaces. Touching contaminated surfaces and then touching your face is the kind of risky behavior that could get you infected. Authorities say that surface spread is unlikely, but it’s still possible. A recent study said that a single person infected 70 other people after she used an elevator by herself. All the next person did was breathe the same air and potentially touch the same surfaces.

It should go without saying that Lysol products that can kill the coronavirus, as well as any other disinfectants, should not be applied to the skin or ingested. Sadly, this is a warning that we actually feel the need to offer. The company that manufactures Lysol and other products reminded people in mid-April that disinfectants should not be ingested or injected into the human body in response to Trump’s puzzling remarks on disinfectants and UV lighting. Several weeks later, the CDC published a study that revealed some Americans were willing to gargle with bleach and soapy water in an effort to prevent infection. Disinfectants are toxic and can cause additional health problems.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.