The application of non-chloride based disinfectants in inactivation of sars-cov-2 in personal protective equipment, air and surfaces of hospitals

Abstract

As Severe acute respiratory syndrome-Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged in 2019, scientists sought to find a way of inactivating this new virus to effectively disinfect surfaces, air, hands, etc. The first proposed manners were on the basis of chemical disinfectants such as chlorine and bleach, however, application of these methods can result in some hazards for human beings and the environment. Therefore, new methods such as ultraviolet (UV) radiation were recommended. Not only these new methods can accelerate the inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 in a more efficient way, their hazards and side effects are also less when compared to chlorine-based disinfectants. In this review, we discussed the utilization of UV-C, hydrogen peroxide, ozone, and cold plasma as new, nonthermal methods to disinfect personal protective equipment, air, and surfaces in hospitals, since hospitals were one of the major sources of Coronavirus disease-2019 infection and members of health care team were highly prone to being infected.