Research has found that closing the lid when flushing the toilet does not prevent virus contamination, how can we prevent virus contamination?
Various pathogenic bacteria and viruses are also contained in human excrement, and there is a risk that homes and public toilets used by multiple people can become a source of disease infection. Therefore, it is recommended to ``close the toilet lid when flushing the toilet to prevent pathogen-containing particles from scattering.'' However, in the case of viruses, which have much smaller particles than bacteria, the toilet lid should be closed. It turns out that even if you do it, you can't prevent contamination.
Impacts of lid closure during toilet flushing and of toilet bowl cleaning on viral contamination of surfaces in United States restrooms - American Journal of Infection Control
New analysis shows that disinfection is the most effective way to prevent viral contamination of restroom surfaces | EurekAlert!
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1031976
Closing toilet lid before flushing doesn't keep viral spray inside, study suggests | CIDRAP
https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/closing-toilet-lid-flushing-doesnt-keep-viral-spray-inside-study-suggests
Scientists have known for years that flushing the toilet can aerosolize pathogens excreted by people with the disease and spread them onto toilet seats, floors, and other surfaces. Therefore, it is recommended that you close the lid when flushing the toilet to prevent pathogens from flying around.
The experimental results of flushing the toilet with the lid open and observing the behavior of the aerosol particles rolling up with laser light can be clearly understood by reading the article below. In this experiment, it was found that if you flush the toilet without closing the lid, countless water droplets will blow up from inside the toilet bowl, and the particles will rise to the height of your face in just a few seconds.
A movie that explains in one shot ``Why you should not flush the toilet with the lid open'' - GIGAZINE
Previous studies have shown that closing the toilet lid can help prevent the spread of bacteria and feces, but the same can be said for viruses, which are much smaller particles than bacteria. It was unclear whether this was the case.
Therefore, a research team including the University of Arizona and Reckitt Benckiser , a manufacturer of household products and pharmaceuticals, conducted an experiment on the spread of the virus when flushing the toilet.
In the experiment, a virus that is not pathogenic to humans was used instead of a dangerous pathogenic virus and added to a household or public toilet. Next, in the case of public toilets that do not have a lid, flush the water as is, and in the case of domestic toilets, flush with the lid open and closed, respectively, to see how much the virus spreads to the toilet seat, floor, and walls. I looked into it.
The results of the experiment showed that there was no significant difference in the amount of virus collected from the toilet bowl or floor whether the lid was open or closed. The most heavily contaminated area was the toilet seat, while the surrounding walls were minimally contaminated.
The research team also investigated whether cleaning toilet bowls with disinfectants affected the spread of the virus. As a result, cleaning with a brush using a disinfectant reduced virus contamination in the toilet by more than 99.99%, and viral contamination in the brush itself by 97.64%.
The researchers found that adding disinfectant to the toilet bowl before flushing, or installing a disinfectant
Professor Charles Gerba , a microbiologist at the University of Arizona and the study's final author, said: ``In healthcare, we strive to keep all patients as healthy as possible, including the most vulnerable, such as immunocompromised patients.'' We must address all possible routes for the spread of pathogens to keep them safe.The results show that closing toilet lids does not help prevent the spread of virus particles. Our study highlights the importance of regularly disinfecting toilets to reduce contamination and prevent the spread of the virus.'
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