By Bahk Eun-ji
People should not be concerned about going to retail stores and other facilities previously visited by coronavirus patients because they pose no infection risks after undergoing thorough disinfection, according to the health authorities and medical experts Monday.
“From a medical point of view, we believe that once the virus exits the human body, it only survives three or four hours, or no longer than 48 hours,” said Sohn Jang-wook, professor of Korea University Anam Hospital’s infectious disease division.
In particular, virus propagation depends largely on whether or not it can exist outdoors or indoors, Sohn said.
“This means that although the duration of virus survival clearly depends on the temperature, humidity and the environment, nearly 99 percent of viruses are killed in the space where disinfection work is done,” said Choi Jae-wook, a professor of Korea University’s preventive medicine department.
More specifically, if the natural survival period of the virus is short lived, and quarantine measures are added, it will be difficult for the virus to survive to infect other people, Choi said.
“It is understandable that citizens are reluctant to visit places where infected people have visited due to the risk of contamination. But when coronaviruses stay in the air, they are killed within hours, and if the surface exposed to the virus is thoroughly disinfected, there is no chance of infection,” said Jung Eun-kyung, director of the Korea Centers for Disease Control during a briefing.
The KCDC released guidelines for disinfection last week to dispel concerns that the coronavirus outbreak would affect consumer confidence in the retail industry.
Based on the guidelines, areas that have been infected are normally prohibited from use until the next day after disinfection has been done. The virus disappears on the day of sterilization, but officials allow for additional time, taking into account the effects of harmful chemical effects in the disinfectants.
“The reason for releasing the guidelines for disinfection is part of the government’s efforts to prevent side effects from excessive vigilance disrupting our daily lives,” Jung said.
At the end of last week, Lotte Department Store, one of the nation’s largest department store chains, temporarily closed its Myeongdong branch for three days for sterilization work following a visit by a patient confirmed to have the new coronavirus.
The store opened Monday as competitor stores including Hyundai Department Store and Shinsegae Department Stores closed their branches except ones in downtown Seoul temporarily, in order to get them properly sterilized work amid growing fears of a possible spread of the virus among their customers.
