Efficiency of coronavirus inactivation on environmental surfaces: A comparison study of two available disinfectants

Background: There are many coronaviruses of significant medical and veterinary concern, all of which are the result of spillover from another species. Disinfection of healthcare and veterinary environments is an important factor in limiting the transmission of coronaviruses. Disinfection agents for coronaviruses use bleach, quaternary compounds, hydrogen peroxide, and sodium hydroxide. Product labels list contact times that range from 10-30 minutes for total inactivation. Decon7 is a combination disinfectant that is currently used in the food and agriculture, medical facilities, and other industries. While Decon7 has been shown to inactivate a variety of pathogens and disrupt biofilms, its effectiveness and rate of coronavirus inactivation has not been evaluated. Objective: This project sought to evaluate Decon7’s effectiveness and rate of coronavirus inactivation. Methods: This study evaluated the disinfection efficacy of Decon7 (diluted at 1:4) and bleach (diluted at 1:10) after 3 coronaviruses (SARS-CoV-2, HCoV OC43, and HCoV NL63) were inoculated onto up to sixteen environmental surface materials. Results: A 1:4 dilution of Decon7 inactivated all coronaviruses on all surfaces with 1 minute contact time. A 1:10 dilution of bleach was not effective in inactivating coronaviruses with a contact time of 1 minute on all surfaces. Conclusions: New technologies and chemistries may offer more efficient inactivation of pathogens on environmental surfaces. These disinfection methods and materials, which require less than 10 minutes contact time, may improve the efficacy of cleaning and disinfecting surfaces in the built environment.