If you take a moment to look at a bottle of Lysol, Purell or Clorox, you’ll see a claim that the contents can kill 99.9% of bacteria and viruses.
If you look further on the bottle you may see a list of viruses the product is effective against. In that list, you will see the words “human coronavirus.”
The advertising is leading many to wonder if these common grocery store aisle products can help protect you amid the quickly spreading and deadly novel coronavirus. The answer is maybe. Or, at least they can’t hurt.
While the coronavirus is not new -- it was discovered in the 1960s -- the virus that is affecting thousands today is a new version of the virus. Disinfectant products that have been determined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to be effective against coronavirus in the past are thought to be effective for this version of the virus.
While EPA officials believe these disinfectants will be effective against the novel coronavirus, tests have yet to be completed that confirmed the disinfectants are able to kill this virus.
The Center for Biocide Chemistries has created a list of more than 100 ready-to-use, dilutable and wipeable biocidal products that the EPA has approved as effective at killing viruses like the coronavirus.
According to the CBC website, the organization is maintaining this list of antimicrobials that have proven to be effective against stronger pathogens, such as norovirus or Ebola.
"The 2019 novel coronavirus is not your typical household cold …" said Komal K. Jain, executive director of CBC. "We know it is concerning that this virus is having widespread impact. Our members have spent decades conducting research to develop products that can be used safely and are effective in cases such as the novel coronavirus outbreak. There are antimicrobial products in the market that have been tested against hundreds of pathogens in order to facilitate rapid identification of products that EPA presumes will be effective against novel pathogens in instances such as the current outbreak."
CBC has verified the list of products, all of which are in compliance with EPA’s “emerging viral pathogen” guidance for antimicrobial products.
Coronavirus spreads through direct contact, including person to person and person to surface to person, the CDC says. By using disinfectants on surfaces, the spread of the virus may be slowed. "Antimicrobial products on CBC's List of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)-Fighting Products have been tested to stop the spread of pathogens from hard surfaces and have received EPA's approval that the products are not expected to cause unreasonable adverse effects when used in accordance with their labels," Jain said. "Public health organizations should feel confident that the products included on CBC's list are available to help protect the public from the spread of the novel coronavirus."
Here is the list:
- 128 Disinfectant
- 128 E-Fecticide
- 14 plus antibacterial all-purpose cleaner
- 20 neutral disinfectant cleaner
- 256 Century Q
- 3M Disinfectant Cleaner RCT Concentrate
- 3M MBS Disinfectant Cleaner Concentrate
- 3M MBS Disinfectant Cleaner Fresh Scent Concentrate
- 3M Neutral Quat Disinfectant Cleaner Concentrate
- 3M Quat Disinfectant Cleaner Concentrate
- A-456 ii disinfectant cleaner
- ACS Tornado 1 - one-step disinfectant American Chemical Systems 6836-75-86408
- All Purpose Virex
- All Purpose Virex Diversey, Inc. 1839-83-70627
- Array Non-Acid Restroom Cleaner & Disinfectant
- Avert Sporicidal Disinfectant Cleaner
- Bleach disinfectant cleaner Ecolab Inc
- Boost 3200 CIP
- Boost 3200
- Boost surface treatment
- Brighton Professional Hepastat 256
- Buckeye Eco Neutral Disinfectant
- Buckeye Eco One-Step Disinfectant-Deodorizer-Cleaner
- Buckeye Sanicare Lemon Quat
- Buckeye Sanicare Mint Quat
- Buckeye Sanicare Pine Quat
- Buckeye Sanicare Quat 128
- Buckeye Sanicare Quat 256
- Buckeye Sani-Q2 B
- Buckeye Terminator
- Centraz San Sol 10
- Classic Whirlpool Disinfectant and Cleaner
- Clean Quick broad range quaternary sanitizer
- Clear Gear Sports Spray On
- Clicksan disinfectant/sanitizer Ecolab Inc/kay chemical co. 6836-305-5389
- Clorox 4 In One Disinfecting Spray
- Clorox Clean Up Cleaner + Bleach
- Clorox Commercial Solutions Clorox 4-in-One Disinfectant & Sanitizer
- Clorox Commercial Solutions Clorox Clean-Up Disinfectant Cleaner with Bleach
- Clorox Commercial Solutions Clorox Disinfecting Bathroom Cleaner
- Clorox Commercial Solutions Clorox Disinfecting Biostain & Odor Remover
- Clorox Commercial Solutions Clorox Disinfecting Spray
- Clorox Commercial Solutions Hydrogen Peroxide Cleaner Disinfectant
- Clorox Commercial Solutions Tilex Soap Scum Remover
- Clorox Commercial Solutions toilet Bowl Cleaner with Bleach
- Clorox Disinfecting Bathroom Cleaner
- Clorox Healthcare Bleach Germicidal Cleaner Spray
- Clorox Healthcare Fuzion cleaner
- Clorox Healthcare Hydrogen Peroxide Cleaner Disinfectant
- Clorox Multi-Surface Cleaner + Bleach
- Clorox Pet Solutions Advanced Formula Disinfecting Stain & Odor Remover
- Clorox Scentiva Bathroom Disinfectant Foamer
- Clorox Scentiva Bathroom Disinfecting Foam Cleaner
- Clorox Toilet Bowl Cleaner Clinging Bleach Gel
- Clorox Toilet Bowl Cleaner with Bleach
- Cloroxpro Clorox Total 360 Disinfecting Cleaner
- Coastwide Professional Hepastat 256
- Confidence Plus 2
- Cosa Oxonia Active
- Don-O-Mite
- Extra Spearmint Germicidal Detergent and Deodorant
- Food contact Quat sanitizer
- Foster First Defense
- G-5 Sanitizer
- GASCO Quaternary Sanitizer
- Germ-A-Cide 64
- Germicidal Cleaner and Disinfectant Gordon Food Service
- Kay surface sanitizer
- Kayquat II
- Klercide 70/30
- Lemon Cleaner U S Chemical
- Lemon Disinfectant American Chemical Systems
- Lysol bleach mold and mildew remover
- Lysol bleach multi-purpose cleaner
- Lysol cling & fresh toilet bowl cleaner
- Lysol Disinfectant Max Cover Mist
- Lysol disinfectant spray
- Lysol lime & rust toilet bowl cleaner
- Lysol power plus toilet bowl cleaner
- Lysol power toilet bowl cleaner
- MAPS- 1 RTU
- Medline Micro-Kill NQ5
- Microban 24
- Microban 24 hour Bathroom Cleaner
- Microban 24 Hour Multi-Purpose Cleaner
- Mixmate Germicidal Cleaner
- Mixmate Microtech Non-Acid Restroom Cleaner & Disinfectant
- Mixmate Non-Acid Restroom Cleaner & Disinfectant
- Multi-purpose neutral ph germicidal detergent
- Multi-quat Mega-1 Intercon
- Neutral disinfectant cleaner Ecolab Inc
- Neutral Disinfectant Cleaner Gordon Food Service
- Oasis 499 HBV disinfectant
- One-Step Disinfectant Cleaner
- OPI Spa Complete
- OXIVIR
- OXIVIR 1
- OXIVIR Tb
- Oxonia Active
- Oxycide daily disinfectant cleaner
- Oxy-team disinfectant cleaner
- Performex
- Peroxide disinfectant and glass cleaner RTU Ecolab Inc
- Peroxide multi-surface cleaner and disinfectant
- Pine Cleaner Disinfectant
- Professional Lysol disinfectant spray
- Purell Food Processing Surface Sanitizer
- Purell Foodservice Surface Sanitizer
- Purell Healthcare Surface Disinfectant
- Purell Multi Surface Disinfectant
- Purell Professional Surface Disinfectant
- Q.T. 3
- Q.T. Plus
- Quaternary disinfectant cleaner
- RTU Disinfectant Cleaner
- Sani quad food service sanitizer
- Sani-24 Germicidal Spray
- Sanicare TBX
- Sanifect Plus 1
- Sanifect Plus 2 Fresh N Clean
- Sani-Hypercide Germicidal Spray
- Sani-Hypercide Germicidal Spray
- Sani-Prime Germicidal Spray
- Sani-Spritz Spray Nyco Products Company
- Sanitizer/commercial sanitizer Ecolab Inc
- SC-RTU Disinfectant cleaner
- Simple Green D Pro 5
- Stepan Spray Disinfectant Concentrate
- Super San food service sanitizer
- Tb disinfectant cleaner ready-to-use
- TB Quat
- Tec-quat 128
- Triple Play Ecolab Inc
- United 255 Disinfect Plus
- Virasept
- Virex
- VIREX™ II / 256
- Wide Range II Non-Acid Disinfectant Washroom Cleaner Concentrate
- X-Ray Apron Cleaner Disinfectant Bioxco LLC / Mediredi
