Ethanol is indispensable and safe as a biocidal active substance for hand disinfection

[Disinfectants during the COVID-19 pandemic: a challenge]

Disinfection measures have become more important as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany. The increased need for disinfectants at the beginning of the pandemic required temporary legal regulations in order to provide a sufficient quantity of products for the necessary disinfection in the medical sector on the one hand and for the additional demand in the population on the other. For this purpose, the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) and the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) issued a general ruling, which is explained in more detail in this article. The focus was on measures for hygienic hand disinfection. However, other applications such as surface disinfection in relation to pandemic respiratory diseases are also addressed. The experience gained in ensuring the supply of disinfectants that are effective and safe to use should be used to prepare for further pandemics.

Biologia Futura: use of biocides during COVID-19-global reshuffling of the microbiota

Aim The article reviews the current usage of biocides during this lockdown period for sanitizing our living areas due to the pandemic and discusses the pros and cons. Subject COVID-19 spread like wildfire to over 200 countries of the world across all continents. The causative agent, novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is being counter attacked by a thorough application of disinfectants and sterilants. However, the virus mutated over 30 times during this global pandemic, creating panic and leading to enhanced pathogenicity and consequently to more stringent sanitation measures for controlling it. However, excessive use of different types of biocides for disinfecting surfaces is highly alarming in several cases. Extensive application of biocides affects the microbial flora, leading to an abrupt decrease in the number and diversity of beneficial microbes that may directly affect the functioning of nutrient cycles. Results The increased concentration of biocides in agricultural land via surface water or pond water indirectly affect the soil and water ecosystem, soil aggregation and fertility. This will also lead to the flourishing of resistant strains due to loss of competition from the other species, which fail to persist after prolonged use of biocides. Conclusion It is necessary to realize the environmental impacts of biocides and sterilants. It is the right time to stop their entry into the agricultural ecosystem by following adequate management strategies and complete neutralization.

Evaluation of stability and inactivation methods of SARS-CoV-2 in context of laboratory settings

The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 is the causative agent of the acute respiratory disease COVID-19, which has become a global concern due to its rapid spread. Laboratory work with SARS-CoV-2 in a laboratory setting was rated to biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) biocontainment level. However, certain research applications in particular in molecular biology require incomplete denaturation of the proteins, which might cause safety issues handling contaminated samples. In this study, we evaluated lysis buffers that are commonly used in molecular biological laboratories for their ability to inactivate SARS-CoV-2. In addition, viral stability in cell culture media at 4 °C and on display glass and plastic surfaces used in laboratory environment was analyzed. Furthermore, we evaluated chemical and non-chemical inactivation methods including heat inactivation, UV-C light, addition of ethanol, acetone-methanol, and PFA, which might be used as a subsequent inactivation step in the case of insufficient inactivation. We infected susceptible Caco-2 and Vero cells with pre-treated SARS-CoV-2 and determined the tissue culture infection dose 50 (TCID50) using crystal violet staining and microscopy. In addition, lysates of infected cells and virus containing supernatant were subjected to RT-qPCR analysis. We have found that guanidine thiocyanate and most of the tested detergent containing lysis buffers were effective in inactivation of SARS-CoV-2, however, the M-PER lysis buffer containing a proprietary detergent failed to inactivate the virus. In conclusion, careful evaluation of the used inactivation methods is required especially for non-denaturing buffers. Additional inactivation steps might be necessary before removal of lysed viral samples from BSL-3.

Preparing for a COVID-19 pandemic: a review of operating room outbreak response measures in a large tertiary hospital in Singapore

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has been designated a public health emergency of international concern. To prepare for a pandemic, hospitals need a strategy to manage their space, staff, and supplies so that optimum care is provided to patients. In addition, infection prevention measures need to be implemented to reduce in-hospital transmission. In the operating room, these preparations involve multiple stakeholders and can present a significant challenge. Here, we describe the outbreak response measures of the anesthetic department staffing the largest (1,700-bed) academic tertiary level acute care hospital in Singapore (Singapore General Hospital) and a smaller regional hospital (Sengkang General Hospital). These include engineering controls such as identification and preparation of an isolation operating room, administrative measures such as modification of workflow and processes, introduction of personal protective equipment for staff, and formulation of clinical guidelines for anesthetic management. Simulation was valuable in evaluating the feasibility of new operating room set-ups or workflow. We also discuss how the hierarchy of controls can be used as a framework to plan the necessary measures during each phase of a pandemic, and review the evidence for the measures taken. These containment measures are necessary to optimize the quality of care provided to COVID-19 patients and to reduce the risk of viral transmission to other patients or healthcare workers.