Yasmeen Manzoor
Srinagar, April 19(KNB): Ministry of Health and Family Welfare issued an advisory against spraying disinfectants with lethal chemicals on individuals stating it to be physically and psychologically harmful.
Union Health Ministry after receiving huge queries regarding the use of chemicals over masses, issued an advisory which read as,” Spraying of individuals or groups is not recommended under any circumstances. Spraying an individual or group with chemical disinfectants is physically and psychologically harmful.”
They cautiously mentioned that spraying the external part of a person potentially exposed with COVID-19 does not kill the virus and till now no scientific evidence suggests the chemicals to be effective in any way.
Moreover, World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends spraying of sodium hypochlorite, a key ingredient in bleach, only on surfaces, and that too in a small quantity citing its use over individuals harmful to the mucous membranes in eyes and mouth even can lead to gastrointestinal effects such as nausea and vomiting, it reads.
Pertinently, following the outbreak of Covid-19, Srinagar Municipal corporation installed decontamination and sanitation tunnels at many hospitals across the city, sanitizing every person who pass through it.
Srinagar Municipal Corporation justifying the strategy of decontamination tunnels,tweeted, “The recent ICMR Advisory is about sodium hypochlorite and other Chlorine based corrosive chemicals being sprayed on individuals. We have said this was WRONG a month ago!SMC Decontamination Tunnels use the safest chemicals approved for human contact in disinfection booths.”(KNB)