The SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV) was identified as the cause of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) following the worldwide 2003 outbreak. The spread of SARS in healthcare settings and the presence of SARS CoV nucleic acids on hospital surfaces in outbreak settings suggest that surfaces could potentially play a role in the spread of SARS in healthcare environments. Disinfection of hospital surfaces may interrupt virus transmission, but there are little data on the effectiveness of germicides commonly used in healthcare against corona viruses on surfaces. The goal of this research was to test the efficacy of six standard healthcare germicides for inactivation of surrogate corona viruses on environmental surfaces. The germicides tested were (1) Steris Vesphene® IIse Non-sterile Disinfectant Cleaner (9.09% o-phenylphenol, 7.66% p-tertiary amylphenol), (2) 70% ethanol, (3) chlorine bleach (6.0% sodium hypochlorite), (4) Cidex® OPA (ortho-phthalaldehyde), (5) Purell® Instant Hand Sanitizer (62% ethanol), (6) Clorox® Anywhere Hand Sanitizing Spray (71% ethanol). These were tested for virucidal activity against two surrogate coronaviruses, Mouse Hepatitis Virus (MHV) and Transmissible Gastroenteritis Virus (TGEV). MHV and TGEV were dried onto stainless steel surfaces, exposed to a germicide at its use dilution for one-minute contact time, and assayed for infectivity in cell culture. For TGEV, log[10] infectivity reductions were: 70% ethanol=3.2; phenolic=2.0; Cidex OPA=2.3; 1:100 chlorine bleach=0.35; 62% ethanol=4.0; and 71% ethanol=3.5. For MHV, they were: 70% ethanol=3.9; phenolic,=1.3; Cidex OPA=1.7; 1:100 chlorine bleach=0.62; 62% ethanol=2.7; and 71% ethanol=2.0. Of the healthcare germicides tested, only the ethanol effectively reduced infectivity of the two coronaviruses by >3 log[10] after an exposure time of one minute. Cidex OPA was somewhat effective, with >2 log[10] reduction, and 1:100 chlorine bleach was ineffective, with <1 log[10] reduction. MHV and TGEV were reduced to a similar extent (within 0.5 log[10]) by the germicide tested. The results of this study suggest the need for care in choosing effective germicides against viruses like SARS CoV.Master of Science in Public Healt
