Well this news will make you want to quarantine yourself inside your cubicle: Viruses can spread through buildings in just a few short hours, according to a new study presented at the 54th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. Raise your hand if you have the sudden urge to take a hot shower!
Researchers from the University of Arizona wanted to trace how quickly contamination of norovirus (most commonly known as the stomach flu) spread across buildings like offices, schools, and hotels.
Testing various buildings, they swabbed one or two commonly touched objects like doorknobs and faucet handles with the bacteriophage MS2. Its size, shape, and resistance to disinfectants mimic norovirus, but it’s harmless. Throughout the course of the day, scientists sampled 60 to 100 surfaces in the building, ranging from table tops to light switches to arm chairs. They found evidence of the virus on 40 to 60% of the people and frequently touched surfaces in the building, even though they had started out on just a few objects mere hours before.
And unfortunately, this fast-spreading infection rate means it would be super easy to get sick if this was the real norovirus. “Once a hand has been contaminated, inadvertent transfer of the virus to the mouth, nose, or eyes can result in infection,” write the study authors.
The scientists also wanted to figure out which hygienic measures could reduce the spread most effectively. They instructed the cleaning staff of the buildings to use disinfectant wipes with quaternary ammonium compounds (QUATS) on surfaces once a day. This reduced the virus spread by 80 to 90%, according to study author Charles Gerba.
But there are over 1,500 brand names that carry QUAT-based disinfecting products. How do you know you’ve found a legitimate one? “The best thing to do is check the label for chemicals beginning in ‘alkyl,’ as it is in all the different variations of this compound,” says Gerba.
They come in various forms like wipes and sprays, so make sure to stock up to reduce your risk. For ultimate protection, make sure to brush up on your hand-washing technique.