The whole population against the epidemic, but access to which places, the highest risk of virus transmission? Experts point out that the highest risk of virus transmission is the elevator.
Confined, crowded, and small space, elevators become a potential virus transmission problem
Elevators are closely related to our lives, whether it is going out, commuting to work in the process will inevitably take the elevator, has also become the most easy to ignore the vulnerability of epidemic prevention, a large number of people in and out of this small, confined space in the elevator, if someone coughing, sneezing, it is easy to cause droplet infection, or patients do not wash their hands before touching the elevator button, may also be residual virus, if the subsequent user contact, and If the subsequent user touches and touches the nose and mouth, it is also easy to cause infection.
Microorganisms do not survive easily on clean and smooth surfaces, and viruses survive longer in dark, humid, and dirty places. Therefore, elevator buttons and door handles are indeed places of higher risk, but this is not because viruses survive longer on them, but because people come into contact with them more frequently, so the risk of cross-infection is higher.
Take the elevator still rely on basic skills to protect themselves
The new coronavirus can be spread through contact. How should people protect themselves when they go out during the critical period of epidemic prevention?
- Increase the frequency of disinfection.
- When touching elevator buttons and other high-risk areas, use tissue or disinfectant wipes to separate them from each other to reduce the chance of direct hand contact.
- Use hand sanitizer to clean after contact and maintain good hygiene habits.
The most fundamental and important thing is to wash your hands regularly and pay attention to respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette. You should avoid coughing violently in a confined space, and if you cannot avoid it, you must cover your mouth and nose to avoid splashing droplets. Patients with respiratory symptoms should always carry a mask.
In fact, the danger is not only the elevator button, such as the staircase handrail, door handles and other places that the public will be in intensive contact with, it is recommended that people must wash their hands as soon as possible after touching. Some people will use tissues to isolate or use items such as pens and keys instead of pressing the buttons, hoping to reduce the risk of infection, although not directly touching the buttons, like tissues are more permeable to water and may still contaminate the hands. It is best to press the button by hand and then wash your hands after exiting the elevator to effectively reduce the risk of infection.
Elevators in homes or office buildings can be disinfected with dilute bleach or alcohol at a concentration of 75% or higher, and it is recommended that they be disinfected at least once a day. New coronaviruses can be disinfected with alcohol, but not every virus can be disinfected with alcohol. Alcohol can dissolve the lipid-containing coat of the virus to achieve disinfection, but for viruses without coat, such as enterovirus, rotavirus and norovirus, alcohol disinfection is not effective.
People with poorer immune systems or the elderly, or those who stay in enclosed spaces such as elevators and have close contact with others, should wear a mask to avoid droplet transmission. The most important thing is to wash your hands regularly, before eating, after taking the elevator, and after returning home.
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