Study by the BfR (Federal Institute for Risk Assessment) provides data on the stability of coronaviruses on glass surfaces and their inactivation by conventional rinsing processes.
Transmission of the virus via dishes?
Whether at home, in the canteen or in a restaurant - the question always arises as to whether the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 can also be transmitted via dishes or drinking glasses. As a rule, coronavirus infections are passed directly from person to person via droplets and aerosols. Even if smear infections cannot be ruled out, there is currently no reliable evidence of indirect transmission of the virus through contaminated objects and surfaces.
Nevertheless, drinking glasses play a special role in these considerations because they come into direct contact with the mouth and oral cavity. A research project by the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) is now providing new insights.
“Coronaviruses are relatively stable on glass – our studies confirm this. Adequate cleaning of drinking glasses is therefore important. Our data shows that commercial dishwashing liquids and manual glass washers can effectively remove coronaviruses from drinking glasses.”
BfR President Professor Dr. Dr. Andreas Hensel
The study was published on April 6, 2022 in the scientific journal Food Microbiology:
methodology
The human coronavirus 229E, which is related to SARS-CoV-2 and can cause mild respiratory diseases in humans and is often used as a model virus for human coronaviruses, was used for the investigations.
The results show that coronaviruses can remain infectious for days to weeks after drying on glass. The effect of light has a major influence. When stored in daylight, infectious coronaviruses could be detected for up to seven days and in darkness for up to 21 days. As enveloped viruses whose genetic material is surrounded by a layer of fat, coronaviruses react sensitively to fat-dissolving substances such as alcohols and surfactants, which are contained as fat dissolvers in soaps and dishwashing detergents.
The BfR's studies showed that most commercially available dishwashing detergents sufficiently inactivate coronaviruses in dishwashing water at a temperature of 23 degrees Celsius within 15 seconds. Only a dishwashing detergent with a lower total surfactant content required a higher temperature of 43 degrees Celsius and a longer exposure time of 60 seconds. With a manual glass washer according to DIN 6653-3, coronaviruses could be effectively removed from the glasses, even when using cold water.
The results of the BfR study show that coronaviruses can be sufficiently removed from drinking glasses both when washing by hand and when using manual glass washers. The prerequisite for this is that rinsing is carried out properly, which includes, among other things, sufficiently frequent water changes, the use of the manufacturer's recommended detergent concentrations and sufficient manual removal of dirt.
About the BfR
The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) is a scientifically independent institution within the scope of the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL). It advises the federal government and the federal states on food, chemical and product safety issues. The BfR conducts its own research on topics that are closely related to its assessment tasks.
You might also be interested in: No, COVID-19 is not caused by snake venom in drinking water
Source: German health portal
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