The coronavirus is continually infecting people and affecting the livelihood of the most population, as many people are still ordered to stay home and adapt to the “new normal.” Currently, there haven’t been yet any vaccines to immune and specific medications to treat people infected by COVID-19, this disease remains to be mysterious.
Even traveling at short distances can still be threatening. Other people choose to stay at their homes, but others do not have the luxury of that since they would need to earn an income and get resources from outside, making them vulnerable to viruses.
The clothes you wear outside may potentially carry traces of viruses
According to the professor of microbiology and immunology at The University of Arizona, Charles Gerba, the transfer of virus to a person is much faster if it comes from hard surfaces like stainless steel. He also said that although only one percent of viruses can cling to clothing, it doesn’t mean that it would not hold long on the surface at all.
Dr. Daniel Kuritzkes, an infectious disease expert at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, supported the claim by saying that soft surfaces like clothing are more vulnerable to virus infection than rough surfaces. Although there has not been a published study yet that tells how long the viruses stay on clothing, it is the general public’s responsibility of one country to protect the community by taking precautions.
Proper washing and disinfecting of clothes exposed from the outside environment
Today, health experts and authorities suggest that everyone follow social distancing and self-quarantine protocols alongside hand hygiene standards, such as washing hands with soap for at least 20 seconds. However, these guidelines are not enough to protect you from viruses. As mentioned, viruses can cling to your outside clothes, so you should take various protective measures.
According to the CDC, if you have gone outside to run errands or you got in physical contact with someone infected with the virus, you should wash your clothes with the warmest water and make sure to dry it completely, whether through air drying or using a dryer machine. Doing so may kill the viruses present in your clothes. They based this guideline from the fact the flu viruses can be destroyed through the heat of at least 167 degrees Fahrenheit.
They also recommend that people should follow standards of cleaning items which are washing hands before touching the item, wearing disposable gloves when cleaning, and washing hands again right after the process. People should not also forget to disinfect their clothes properly.
The CDC strongly suggests that everyone should wash and disinfect clothing, towels, linens, bedsheets, and any fabric used by someone suspected to have COVID-19 to prevent further infection to other people. They also reminded people to separate outside clothing from other clothes so they can properly wash and disinfect it following the recommended procedure.
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