Efficacy of chemical disinfectants against SARS-CoV-2 on high-touch surface materials

• Published in: Journal of applied microbiology
• Main Authors: Hardison, Rachael L, Nelson, Sarah W, Limmer, Rebecca, Marx, Joel, Taylor, Brian M, James, Ryan R, Stewart, Michael J, Lee, Sang Don D, Calfee, Michael Worth, Ryan, Shawn P, Howard, Megan W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 15-12-2022
• Subjects: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; disinfection; virucide
• ISSN: 1364-5072; 1365-2672
• DOI: 10.1093/jambio/lxac020

This study aimed to provide operationally relevant severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) surface disinfection efficacy information.
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.
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.
These data are useful for developing effective, real-world disinfection procedures, and inform public health experts on the utility of PCR-based surveillance approaches.