Medical workers must make sure to properly disinfect their shoes at all times, a new finding suggests.
In a fresh study made public in a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s journal, researchers tested surface and air quality at a Wuhan hospital in China, where the disease first broke out.
The scientists discovered that around 50% of medical employees stationed at intensive care units had the coronavirus on the bottoms of their shoes. In addition, the finding revealed that the floor of the pharmacy only health-care workers walk on (not patients) was highly infectious.
“Therefore, the soles of medical staff shoes might function as carriers,” the researchers warned. “We highly recommend that persons disinfect shoe soles before walking out of wards containing COVID-19 patients.”
Details concerning the best methods for disinfecting shoes have not yet been discussed, but a nurse who went viral on TikTok for the thorough way she cleans her shoes (placing them in bleach overnight).
Shoes made of mesh or canvas can be put through the washing machine. According to the UK’s National Health Service fabrics should be washed at a high temperature (140°F) with washing products containing bleach to increase the power of disinfecting.
Shoes made of materials such as leather or other sensitive materials can be disinfected by using normal soap and water, but you should try it on a small area (e.g. inside the shoe) first just to make sure they won’t get damaged.
In order to disinfect your shoes, the CDC suggests using a mixture of 70% alcohol and 30% water.
For more information on how to disinfect for coronavirus properly and keep your loved ones safe, please see the video below.
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