Global Practices in Hospital Sanitization During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Introduction:

A variety of environmental disinfection approaches, including chemical, physical, and radiation methods, as well as their combinations, have been adopted to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. This summary reviews the latest findings on the efficacy of different disinfection strategies in the context of hospitals.

Methods:

Research was conducted using the search terms (COVID-19 OR corona OR MERS-CoV-2) AND (disinfect* OR UV OR Ozone OR Chlorine) within titles and abstracts. Additionally, studies on COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) disinfection practices in dental clinics were reviewed. The search highlighted five main categories of disinfectants: Bleach (chlorine-based), alcohol, UV light, Hydrogen peroxide, and various others (such as ethylene oxide, glutaraldehyde, quaternary ammonium, chlorhexidine gluconate, povidone iodine, and peroxyacetic acid), utilized across various settings.

Results:

Out of an initial pool of 320 articles, 60 were deemed directly relevant. From these, 21 were chosen for their detailed descriptions of disinfectant types and applications after title and abstract screenings. Two authors independently reviewed the full texts, extracting and summarizing the data on disinfectant use in various environments.

Conclusions:

Common disinfectants like alcohol and chlorine-based solutions are highly effective against SARS-CoV-2. The most effective methods for neutralizing viruses, including SARS-CoV, in hospital wastewater are Chlorine, Sodium hypochlorite, Chlorine dioxide, Ozone, and UV irradiation.