As health authorities and healthcare institutions worldwide are working to prevent the spread of the novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV), personal protection and surface disinfection will play critical roles. As of today, the 2019-nCoV outbreak has killed close to 4,500 people and infected some 120,000 as it continues to race across the globe. The virus has now been confirmed in more than 120 countries and territories since it was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019. The rapid outbreak of 2019-nCoV has reached far enough to be declared a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern” by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Even more concerning, 2019-nCoV is a new virus that has never been seen before, and for which no vaccine is yet available to prevent. Further, no testing protocol has yet been developed to confirm any antimicrobial product can effectively kill it and, therefore, no antimicrobial product sold in the U.S. can directly claim to be capable of killing it. It is for critical situations such as this that the EPA developed their Emerging Pathogen Policy some years ago, and which, for the first time, has now been activated. In short, the EPA’s Emerging Pathogen Policy states that if an existing EPA registered disinfectant has a kill claim against a similar virus, it shall be considered suitable for disinfection against the emerging pathogen
PermaSafe™ CLEAN, our EPA registered, Odor, Allergen, Mold and Fungi Eliminator, Hospital Grade Disinfectant, and “Step 1” of our two-step PermaSafe™ Disinfection and Long-Term Antimicrobial System, is effective against viruses similar to 2019-nCoV, specifically against Feline Coronavirus, Strain WSU 79-1683, ATCC VR 989 and Canine Coronavirus, Strain 1-71, ATCC VR-809, and therefore can be used against 2019-nCoV when used as directed on hard, non-porous surfaces.
