Aims: This study aimed to provide operationally relevant severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) surface disinfection efficacy information.
Methods and results: Three EPA-registered disinfectants (Vital Oxide, Peroxide, and Clorox Total 360) and one antimicrobial formulation (CDC bleach) were evaluated against SARS-CoV-2 on material coupons and were tested using Spray (no touch with contact time) and Spray & Wipe (wipe immediately post-application) methods immediately and 2 h post-contamination. Efficacy was evaluated for infectious virus, with a subset tested for viral RNA (vRNA) recovery. Efficacy varied by method, disinfectant, and material. CDC bleach solution showed low efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 (log reduction < 1.7), unless applied via Spray & Wipe. Additionally, mechanical wiping increased the efficacy of treatments against SARS-CoV-2. The recovery of vRNA post-disinfection suggested that vRNA may overestimate infectious virus remaining.
Conclusions: Efficacy depends on surface material, chemical, and disinfection procedure, and suggests that mechanical wiping alone has some efficacy at removing SARS-CoV-2 from surfaces. We observed that disinfectant treatment biased the recovery of vRNA over infectious virus.
Significance and impact of study: These data are useful for developing effective, real-world disinfection procedures, and inform public health experts on the utility of PCR-based surveillance approaches.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; disinfection; virucide.
Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Applied Microbiology International 2022.