The Union Health Ministry has disapproved spraying of chemical disinfectants on people to disinfect them from COVID-19, saying that it is physically and psychologically harmful.
"Even if a person is potentially exposed to the Covid-19, spraying disinfectants on external parts doesn't kill the virus that has entered your body," the Ministry said in an advisory issued recently.
The advisory came following reports of some health workers in Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh using hose pipes to douse disinfectants on a group of migrant workers, amid fears that a large scale movement of people from cities to the countryside risked spreading the coronavirus. The incident had caught everyone's attention when its video went viral on social media.
To ensure that such incidents are not repeated in future, the Government advisory said “Spraying individuals with chemical disinfectants is physically and psychologically harmful. Disinfectants were chemicals that destroy disease causing pathogens or other harmful microorganisms.”
The Ministry said spraying of chlorine on individuals could lead to irritation of eyes and skin and potentially gastrointestinal effects, like nausea and vomiting. "Inhalation of sodium hypochlorite can lead to irritation of mucous membranes in nose, throat and respiratory tract and may also cause bronchospasm," it said.
Also, use of such measures might lead to a false sense of disinfection and safety, it said and added it could hamper public observance of hand washing and social distancing measures.
The Union Health Ministry said it had received many queries regarding the efficacy of disinfectants, like sodium hypochlorite, spray to disinfect people.
The strategy seems to have gained a lot of media attention and is also being reportedly used at local levels in certain districts/local bodies.