KUCHING, Sept 21: Aerosol disinfectants in the form of mist sprays which are widely used should not be used on humans, says Health Minstry director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.
Responding to reports and issues related to the safety and effectiveness of the use of such0 mist sprays as a disinfectant, he warned that such chemicals could cause irritation.
“The Health Ministry (MOH) is concerned about this. Recently, these so-called ‘nano mist spray’ has gain great public attention as a disinfectant to curb the spread of Covid-19. Many people believed that the use of this tool will eliminate the virus in the air and on surfaces.
“However, the effectiveness of the use of such sprays for disinfection depends on the ability of the device to produce a uniform spray on the surface, the type and concentration of disinfection solution used, as well as the duration of exposure.
“The disinfectant solution is intended for disinfection on the surface of the environment and is not suitable for use directly on humans. This is because, some of these disinfectant solutions can cause irritation to the eyes, skin, respiratory tract and even the digestive system,” Dr Noor Hisham said in a statement.
He explained that at present, some existing disinfectant solutions contain 70 to 90 per cent alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, thymol, quarternary ammonia, and even chlorine-based solutions are effective in killing SARS-CoV-2 virus on the surface.
Such devices consist of an aerosol spray device that can produce fine droplets.
These tools he said, are manufactured for a variety of purposes including cosmetics, fragrances and a variety of domestic as well as industrial uses, depending on the specifications of the tool and the type of liquid used.
They come in a variety of shapes from small sizes for personal use such as spray guns, handheld sprays up to larger sizes for industrial use.
Meanwhile, a list of effective disinfectant solutions for SARS-CoV-2 can be found on the US Environmental Protection Agency website here: https://www.epa.gov/coronavirus/about-list-n-disinfectants-coronavirus-covid-19-0.
Currently, MOH through the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Division (NPRA) has issued guidelines for the registration of surface disinfectants which can be accessed with this link:https://www.npra.gov.my/images/Guidelines_Central/surface_disinfectant/Revision_1_Guideline_forfectantdf .Disin_Registration_of_Surface_Disinfectant
These guidelines also describe the requirements for disinfectant labeling.
Apart from that, evaluation reports on various disinfection methods to prevent COVID-19 transmission can be accessed here: https://covid-19.moh.gov.my/kajian-dan-penyelidikan/mahtas-covid-19-rapid-evidence-updates. — DayakDaily
