Summary recommendations on the various disinfection strategies in the community

ABSTRACT

Background@#Local government units conduct community – based responses to control spread of COVID-19 infection. Initiatives include city-wide disinfecting operations on streets and establishments, and mist spraying outside houses, vehicles, and even directly on persons.@*Objective@#To provide a list of recommendations on the different disinfection strategies applicable for use in the community@*Methodology@#Articles and guidelines about community disinfection were searched in various research databases. All evidencebased recommendations were reviewed, appraised, evaluated and summarized@*Recommendations@#General disinfection in households and community recommends use of diluted bleach solution of 75ml Sodium hypochlorite in 3.8L or 1 gallon of water (1000ppm). It is recommended to clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces such as tables, doorknobs, light switches, handles, desks, toilets, faucets, sinks and electronics. In disinfecting local quarantine facilities, all surfaces must be regularly cleaned using damp cleaning cloth and mops. Ethyl alcohol (70%) is used for small surfaces and well-ventilated spaces while diluted household bleach is used for surface disinfection. Spraying or fogging with ethyl alcohol or bleach disinfectant may be hazardous and has no proven benefit on disease prevention and control@*Conclusion@#The use of properly diluted household disinfectant solution for direct surface cleaning is an effective infection control measure in the community setting. Available evidence, however, recommends against the use of spraying, misting or fogging