It’s time to unplug
the sanitizing robots and put away the bottles of Clorox that seem to line the entrances to every school, restaurant and supermarket wanting to advertise its safety protocols. While such protocols may be reassuring to an anxious populace, they are not necessary, says a
revised guidance issued on Monday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“It is possible for people to be infected through contact with contaminated surfaces or objects (fomites), but the risk is generally considered to be low,” the new CDC guidance says, estimating that the chance of contracting the coronavirus through surface transmission is lower than 1 in 10,000.
The coronavirus is spread almost exclusively by airborne and aerosolized particles, as scientists have known for months. Despite scientists’
growing certitude about how the pathogen is transmitted, many establishments have continued to insist on strict sanitization protocols. In some school districts, for example,
classrooms close for full-day “deep cleaning.”
