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Understanding COVID-19

What is Coronavirus 

The World Health Organisation (WHO) states that coronaviruses belong to a large family of viruses which may lead to illness in animals or humans. Multiple coronaviruses are known to cause respiratory infections in humans ranging from the common cold to more severe infections such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). The latest discovery of coronaviruses causes coronavirus disease COVID-19. 

What is COVID-19?

COVID-19 is a contagious disease originating from the most recently discovered coronavirus. Both the virus and the disease were not discovered before the outbreak began in Wuhan, China. Today COVID-19 remains a pandemic that is affecting many countries all over the world. 

What are the Symptoms of Coronavirus? 

According to the Scottish Government the most common symptoms of COVID-19 are:  

  • A new continual cough 

  • A fever or high temperature that is 37.8C or higher.  

How is Coronavirus spread? 

According to the Scottish Government, the coronavirus is most commonly spread through droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The droplets land on surfaces and are spread further when picked up on the hands of others. Individuals can also catch the virus by putting their infected hands on their eyes, nose, or mouth.

How to prevent Coronavirus 

The most effective way to prevent yourself from catching the coronavirus is through social distancing. The Scottish Government and NHS advise that you should only leave your home for very limited purposes. To prevent the spread of the coronavirus the Scottish Government recommends: 

 

  • Washing your hands with soap and water often for at least 20 seconds 

  • Using an alcohol-based sanitiser gel when soap and water are not available 

  • Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue whenever you sneeze or cough 

  • Throw tissues in the bin immediately after you have coughed or sneezed and wash your hands afterward 

  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces and objects 

  • Stay 2 metres away from other people 

The Scottish Government has measures in place to arrange a test if you are a key worker or a worker who cannot work from home, and you or a family member are displaying signs of COVID-19; or if you are over 65 and you or a member of your family is displaying signs of COVID-19. Additionally, eligible employers can register and refer staff members or their households.  Testing can be conducted through home testing kits, via drive-through sites or mobile testing units. 

Can DEW Disinfectant Products Kill Coronavirus (COVID-19)? 

The 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) is the latest strain in the coronavirus family include SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV. To date, no samples of COVID-19 have been made available for commercial testing.

In third party laboratory tests, the active ingredient in DEW Disinfectant products - Hypochlorous Acid, has demonstrated effectiveness (>99.9% inactivation) against coronavirus strains from the same family as COVID-19 such as Bovine Coronavirus, SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV. These products are: DEW Disinfect, DEW Hand Sanitiser and DEW Air. 

The government’s advice to use a hand sanitiser with more than 60% alcohol does not take into consideration non-alcohol based sanitiser products like DEW, which rely on Hypochlorous Acid to effectively kill viruses. 

Based on the commonalities, we would, therefore, expect our DEW Disinfectant products (listed above) to be effective against the COVID-19 virus. Conclusive scientific confirmation of this can only be achieved following testing against COVID-19 once the strain has been released by the relevant health authorities. 

References:  

https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses

https://www.gov.scot/collections/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance/

https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-getting-tested/ 

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/