What Cleaners Work Best? Which Are Harmful? And More Fresh COVID-19 Science

Compiled by veteran medical journalist Brian Owens, this roundup of some of the newest science on the COVID-19 pandemic, straight from the scientific journals, is presented by Hakai Magazine in partnership with The Tyee.

Most countries are breaking international law during the pandemic

Most countries are not living up to their legal obligations under the World Health Organization’s International Health Regulations, according to an international team of legal experts led by York University in Ontario. The team examined Article 43 of the regulations, which identifies the additional health measures countries can legally enact when responding to public health risks, and Article 44, which outlines countries’ legal duty to collaborate and assist one another in building national public health systems. They found that most countries have gone further than allowed in implementing quarantine requirements, trade restrictions and travel bans, while not doing enough to help each other by sharing data or providing logistical or financial support. The team says the regulations urgently need to be clarified and updated.

International Organizations Law Review, Dec. 2, 2020 (1)

International Organizations Law Review, Dec. 2, 2020 (2)

When are international travel restrictions most effective?

Restricting international travel to control the spread of the virus works best in countries with low numbers of COVID-19 cases, or that have strong travel links with countries experiencing high rates of infection. Travel restrictions are unlikely to do much good when the virus is already spreading rapidly within a country. Restrictions may also have been most effective early on during the pandemic.

The Lancet Public Health, Dec. 7, 2020

Non-bleach cleaners can pollute the air

While cleaning products based on hydrogen peroxide are less harmful than bleach, they can still pollute the air and create a health risk, according to researchers from the University of Saskatchewan. They found that mopping a floor with a commercially available hydrogen peroxide-based disinfectant raises the level of airborne hydrogen peroxide to more than 600 parts per billion — about 60 per cent of the maximum level permitted for exposure over eight hours, and 600 times the level naturally occurring in the air. The biggest risk is for people who are repeatedly exposed, such as janitors and house cleaners. To reduce the risk, they suggest using soap and water instead of disinfectant, or opening windows and turning on ventilation systems like range hoods, which has the added bonus of also removing aerosol particles of the virus.

Environmental Science and Technology, Dec. 1, 2020

Alcohol-free sanitizers are just as good at killing the virus

Alcohol-free hand sanitizers are just as effective as alcohol-based ones at killing the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Researchers tested several common ingredients of alcohol-free sanitizers including benzalkonium chloride and found that they could wipe out at least 99.9 per cent of the virus within 15 seconds. Alcohol-free sanitizers have several advantages — benzalkonium chloride can be used in much lower concentrations and does not cause the common burning feeling of alcohol-based products, so it could be particularly useful for health-care workers and others who must sanitize frequently.

Journal of Hospital Infection, Nov. 28, 2020

Differences in the immune system and blood vessels help protect kids from virus

A stronger innate immune response and healthier blood vessels are among the factors that protect children from severe COVID-19, according to a review of previous research. The innate immune system, the first line of defence before the antibodies produced by the adaptive immune response kick in, is stronger in children. Kids’ immune systems have also often been primed to react more quickly by other frequent childhood infections and immunizations. The thin layer of cells that line blood vessels tends to be damaged as we age, making adults more susceptible to the blood clots, strokes and heart attacks associated with severe COVID-19.

Archives of Disease in Childhood, Dec. 1, 2020

Less transmission seen with more intense testing

It may seem obvious, but new research has shown that the more testing a country does for COVID-19, the better it can control the spread of the virus. It also shows that testing intensity has the greatest impact of any non-pharmaceutical intervention on disease transmission. Researchers in Sri Lanka looked at data from 173 countries and found that as testing intensified, transmission fell. Specifically, a tenfold increase in the ratio of tests to new cases reported reduced average COVID-19 transmission by nine per cent. The results help explain why countries with aggressive testing regimes, like China, Australia and New Zealand, could better control the virus than places that relied more on lockdowns, such as India and Peru.

Health Affairs, Dec. 2, 2020

What is the safest way to share a car ride during the pandemic?

Opening all of the windows and riding in the rear passenger-side seat is the safest way to share a car with someone outside your bubble during the pandemic, according to a new analysis of airflow inside a moving vehicle. But if you can’t have all the windows open, opening the front passenger side and rear driver’s side windows is the next best option, rather than having the windows closest to the driver and passenger open. The riskiest option is to have all windows closed and the air-recirculating mode turned on.

Science Advances, Dec. 4, 2020

Fewer kids vaccinated during the pandemic

Stay-at-home orders and physical distancing rules have resulted in a drop in the number of children getting routine vaccinations in Colorado. After March 15, the immunization rate dropped by 31 per cent for those under 2 years old, 78 per cent for those aged 3 to 9 years, and 82 per cent for those aged 10 to 17 years.

JAMA Pediatrics, Dec. 7, 2020

Why online misinformation is hard to stop

Misinformation about COVID-19 spreads so quickly online, and is so hard to stamp out, for two main reasons, according to new research. First, most people think they are above average at spotting it, making it difficult to get them to participate in training that would reduce its spread. And secondly, the misinformation often triggers negative emotions that resonate with people, making them more likely to share it than neutral scientific information.

Online Information Review, Dec. 2, 2020

Risk of COVID-19 complications quantified

Many different complications potentially related to COVID-19 have been reported in patients, and a new review has now confirmed the risk of many of them. The most common complications associated with COVID-19 are pneumonia (27 per cent risk), respiratory failure (22 per cent risk), kidney failure (11 per cent risk), and sepsis or systemic inflammation (10 per cent risk). The researchers also found associations with other complications such as collapsed lung, blood clotting disorders and heart inflammation, although the risks of these are relatively low. Contrary to results of other studies, COVID-19 did not appear to be associated with a higher risk of stroke.

The Canadian Medical Association Journal, Dec. 8, 2020

Lockdowns increased harmful drinking

Binge drinkers increased their alcohol consumption by almost 20 per cent during lockdown, according to a study in the United States. The researchers also found that the longer participants spent sheltering at home, the greater the odds of harmful consumption of alcohol, and binge drinkers with a history of depression were more likely to report consuming more alcohol during the pandemic.

American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, Dec. 7, 2020