Virus protection tunnels not effective, say health
authorities
They can trigger other
health problems and even help spread Covid-19
April 9, 2020
Automated sanitation arches and tunnels such as those erected
outside Guadalajara’s outdoor food market last month have not proven to be
effective in the fight against the spread of coronavirus, government officials
say. In fact, they may actually help propagate the virus.
The
tunnels, which are being installed in many locations in Mexico,
purport to sanitize those who pass through them by spraying people with a high
concentration of ozone, which was thought to disinfect a person for up to one
hour.
As
Salvador Hernández Navarro, president of the Grocery Merchants Union, told
media when the tunnels debuted, “we took the initiative to launch this new
technology and install this ozone tunnel to serve the large number of visitors
we welcome daily. We are the second-largest supply center in the country, and
we want people to have peace of mind knowing that we care about your health and
the food that is consumed.”
But the reality is something else, says Mexico’s Ministry of
Health. “Inhaling disinfectants can cause, among other things, damage to the
airways, coughing, sneezing and irritation of the bronchi, triggering asthma
attacks, producing chemical pneumonitis and irritation of the skin, eyes and
mucosa,” the department said in a press release.
A
simple sneeze, according to the Health Ministry’s Hugo López-Gatell, can propel
the virus for a distance of up to 10 meters. “There are drops that are too
heavy and fall two meters, there are drops that are light and fall six meters
and there are drops that are lighter that fall 10 meters away, which can happen
if I sneeze.”
Apart
from provoking coughing and sneezing, the concentration of the oxygenated
disinfectant may be insufficient to inactivate the virus, and the aerosol
generated may help spread the virus, which could be present in tiny particles
adhering to the clothes, hair or belongings of those who pass through the
tunnel.
People
would be better served, says López-Gatell, by sticking with the basics of
coronavirus recommendations, like social distancing, avoiding crowds, washing
hands thoroughly and frequently and wearing masks in public.
Rather
than serving as a panacea for market-goers during the global pandemic, the
automated tunnels create a false sense of security and could even be making
things worse.
“Those
virus particles are going to be mobilized and if the sanitization time is not
technically monitored, and that depends on the size of the person, the area to
be covered and the intensity, … it will not be enough to inactivate the virus
and would have the opposite effect,” López-Gatell cautioned.
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