According to infectious disease specialists, the novel coronavirus can survive on shoe soles for up to five days. It is also more plausible that our shoes carry coronavirus if they are worn in busy areas such as public transport, supermarkets, and airports.
Apparently, our shoe soles act as a great ground for the breed and transfer of viruses along with bacteria and fungi. However, the virus can also be transferred through the upper part of the shoe, including laces and heels, where respiratory droplets from an infected person can land.
The non-porous materials that our shoes are made from like, PVC, rubber, and plastic, are all carriers of bacteria as they do not allow for the natural elements of air and moisture to pass through.
People in Australia have grown increasingly cautious of bringing their shoes indoors as coronavirus confirmed cases are spiking in around the country, especially in the area of New South Wales.
Dr. Georgine Nanos in San Diego has reported to the Huffington Post Australia that there is an increased risk of contamination from our footwear when we visit densely populated areas such as offices, shopping centres and public transport.
Mary E. Schmidt, an infectious disease specialist in Virginia, also agrees by stating that the virus has proven to survive on synthetic surfaces for at least five days at room temperatures, according to a study made on fabrics related to shoe materials.
Kansas City public health specialist Carol Winner also confirms the above claims by stating that viruses can stay alive on synthetic surfaces for days.
Winner advises that shoes should remain outside our living spaces, in areas like garages or the front door. She also reported to Huffington Post that,
'The idea is just to track them throughout the house.'
In addition, people who are not able to work from home and need to commute should use a single pair of shoes for every time they go out.
Canvas, faux leather other soft material shoes can be regularly cleaned in the washing machine at low temperatures. Heavy-duty material shoes and leather shoes can be cleaned using disinfectant products like antiseptic wipe cleansers.
Nicole Bijlsma, an environmental scientist in Melbourne, told the Daily Mail that we should be careful of allergens like dust that shoes bring in our homes. She suggests that it is best to leave our footwear outdoors or directly inside the door instead of walking about with our shoes on inside the house.
Bijlsma says that it is necessary, however, to draw a distinction between keeping our spaces clean and over sanitising when it comes to protecting our home from coronavirus.
'The conundrum is that bacteria are critical for humans - the more bacteria we are exposed to, the stronger our immune response will be,'
'It's absolutely justified to disinfect everything in hospital settings and in places where you have high-risk individuals, but for most households, clinical sanitizing will actually reduce bacterial diversity, which is counterproductive.'
Routinely washing hands, avoiding to touch our faces, and using the crook of our elbow instead of our hand to cough and sneeze are the best defenses against the spread of the virus.
COMMENTS