Products That Kill The Coronavirus Identified By EPA

LOS ANGELES, CA — As California battles to stave off outbreaks of the deadly coronavirus, the federal Environmental Protection Agency has published a list of the disinfectant products that are approved for use against for new coronavirus.

The state experienced its first confirmed coronavirus death this week in Placer County where a patient known to have contracted the virus on a cruise ship died. On Thursday, health officials were investigating the death of a Sunnyvale man, who had also traveled on the cruise ship with coronavirus patients.

As of Thursday night the coronavirus dubbed COVID-19 has been found in 12 counties statewide and has been confirmed in 60 patients. Infections have occurred in Los Angeles, Santa Clara, San Diego, Orange County, Placer County and San Francisco. All of the California cases so far can be traced back to travel abroad, cruise ships or direct contact with infected people who traveled. None are from what is known as community transmission. Gov. Newsom has declared a state of emergency, and health officials are advising residents to maintain social distance and wash hands frequently to protect themselves and others.

As residents prepare for the spread of the virus, the EPA's list may help communities and families disinfect surfaces with products the federal agency says fight coronavirus. A run on known germ-killing products such as instant hand sanitizer, and disinfectant wipes have made some of them unavailable in stores and on Amazon. In some cases on Amazon, sellers are extremely marking up prices for these common household products.

Many of the brands listed are not commonly known and others are household names like Clorox and Lysol.

The EPA says these products, used for surface cleaning, are the best bet and safe for household use. The EPA says that, "Coronaviruses are enveloped viruses, meaning they are one of the easiest types of viruses to kill with the appropriate disinfectant product."

Clorox bleach cleaners from good old white-bottled bleach to its bathroom, kitchen and other multi-surface disinfectants and wipes, are on the list. So too are some Lysol and Purell products.
That said, the vast majority of items on the EPA-approved list to fight the virus are obscure brand names and/or commercial products, likely used in health care settings.

The EPA says "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."

EPA’s Registered Antimicrob... by Ellyn Santiago on Scribd.

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What We Know Today About COVID-19

Then called novel coronavirus, the virus was first reported in Wuhan, China arond Dec. 31, 2019. Since, the CDC advised anyone who has recently returned from China, South Korea and Iran and Italy, where outbreaks are widespread, self-monitor in their homes for 14 days upon returning to the U.S. Anyone who returned from Japan should limit their interactions with others for 14 days after returning to the U.S., the CDC said.

The CDC also recommends travelers avoid all nonessential travel to countries designated as Level 2 and Level 3, which include the above nations.

On Jan. 30, the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee of the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a “public health emergency."

On Jan. 31, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex M. Azar II declared a public health emergency in the U.S.

The most vulnerable populations for developing more serous symptoms are the elderly and people with chronic illnesses.

Illness from this virus has ranged from mild to severe. Signs and symptoms of infection include fever, cough, and difficulty breathing. This new coronavirus has caused severe disease and death in patients who developed pneumonia. Risk factors for severe illness are not yet clear, although older adults and those with chronic medical conditions may be at higher risk for severe illness.

Everyone – regardless of whether they have recently traveled – should continue following some basic steps to protect themselves from coronavirus:

• Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use alcohol-based sanitizer.
• Avoid shaking hands as a greeting.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Call ahead before visiting a doctor’s office or emergency room;
• Tell the doctor about recent travel and the symptoms being experienced;
• Avoid contact with others; and
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

People who have recently traveled to China, South Korea, Iran, Italy and Japan and are feeling sick should:· Do not travel while sick.

Symptoms of coronavirus can include:

• Fever (100.4°F/38°C or higher)
• Cough
• Shortness of breath

Everything you need to know about COVID-19 can be found on the CDC's dedicated coronoavirus site here.

Ellyn Santiago, Patch Staff contributed to this report.