Does your disinfectant also work against cold and flu viruses?

Over the past eighteen months, the world has focused on SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19. The use of disinfectants rapidly increased as efforts were made to prevent the transmission of the virus from person to person. In addition to surface cleaning and disinfection, other measures such as wearing face masks, maintaining physical distance, improving ventilation, practicing hand hygiene, and staying home when sick have also gained importance in preventing the transmission of respiratory diseases. However, recently, the media has also reported on the increase of some other viruses that require our attention.

The “common cold” is primarily caused by various respiratory viruses. Rhinovirus, enterovirus, adenovirus, norovirus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza, human coronavirus, and human metapneumovirus are the most common viruses. Influenza A (flu) does not cause a typical cold but rather a rapidly onset illness with high fever that can be severe. Influenza B causes milder symptoms and may fall into the category of “cold.”

There is a lot of literature and advertising about the pandemic organism SARS-CoV-2. This virus can present without symptoms, cause mild cold-like symptoms, or lead to severe symptoms requiring hospitalization and death. The strong focus on SARS-CoV-2 prevention through disinfection is concerning because some other respiratory viruses are not easily eliminated and can survive relatively well on surfaces.