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Thursday, 14 May 2020 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The Ministry of Public Administration has informed all State sectors institutions to desist from installing disinfection cubicles to prevent the spread of COVID-19, after taking into consideration warnings from health authorities on the use of such cubicles.
In a circular issued last month, the Ministry had recommended the establishment of disinfection cubicles if the necessity arises to deal with the spread of COVID-19, but the Sri Lanka College of Microbiologists (SLCM) warned recently against the use of decontamination chambers and spraying of disinfectants in public spaces as measures to control the spread of the coronavirus, saying these could be doing more harm than good.
In a new circular, the Public Administration Ministry said that in case disinfection cubicles are to be installed under exceptional circumstances, this should be done only after seeking proper advice from health authorities.
The directive was issued to all Secretaries to Ministries, Chief Secretaries of Provinces, Heads of Departments/ District Secretaries and Heads of State Corporations and Statutory Boards.
The SLCM said recently that while there are numerous offers to donate these to hospitals and other public places, including the Ministry of Health and while many places have installed these chambers at their entrances/exits, making it mandatory for everyone to walk through them, these chambers contain various agents to spray on people including alcohol, chlorine compounds, ozonated water, soapy water, and Ultra Violet (UV) radiation, which are harmful.
“These chemical disinfectants can have various adverse effects on humans. Spraying of chlorine on individuals can lead to irritation of eyes and skin, bronchospasm due to inhalation, and potential gastrointestinal effects such as nausea and vomiting. Inhaled ozone can damage the lungs, may worsen chronic respiratory diseases like asthma, and compromise the ability of the body to fight respiratory infections. Excessive exposure to UV light may put a user at risk of eye injury, skin burns or even an increased risk of skin cancer,” the College said.
It drew attention to the views of the World Health Organization on this practice which said,” “We strongly advise that spraying of individuals or groups is not recommended under any circumstances. Spraying an individual or group with chemical disinfectants or detergents is physically and psychologically harmful and does not limit the spread of COVID-19. Even if a person is infected with the COVID-19 virus, spraying the external part of the body does not kill the virus inside the body and may worsen the clinical condition of the individual.”
The College of Microbiologists has instead recommended these steps to prevent transmission of the COVID-19 virus:
Providing universal access to public hand hygiene stations and making their use obligatory on entering and leaving any public or private commercial buildings and any public transport facility
Improving access to hand hygiene facilities and practices in health care facilities
Decontamination chambers and widespread spraying may give a false sense of security and members of the public may pay less attention to hand hygiene, social distancing and cough etiquette/respiratory hygiene, which are of paramount importance in the fight against COVID-19.
