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After PGIMER, Chandigarh admn to discontinue sanitisation tunnels amid health concerns
Chlorine or alcohol based solutions are surface disinfectants, but when used on humans, can cause nasal and ocular irritation, sore throat and coughing
Following in the footsteps of the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, the UT administration has decided to remove two disinfection tunnels already installed and stall three other proposed tunnels.
The PGIMER, in a statement issued on Tuesday, had stated that disinfectant tunnels were not only harmful but also created a false sense of security.
Two tunnels were set up at the Sector 26 grain market and at the municipal corporation office in Sector 17, with three more such installations in the pipeline. Around ₹8 lakh were spent on the 16-ft long one at the grain market and ₹30,000 on MC tunnel.
MC commissioner KK Yadav said, “We had sought an opinion from the PGIMER regarding the use of disinfectant tunnels. After their recommendation, we will remove the tunnels already installed in the city.”
Chairman of the Covid-19 Prevention and IEC (information, education communication) Committee, PGIMER, JS Thakur said, “Initially it was believed that a tunnel that sprays a diluted mist of sodium hypochlorite solution will work like a mass disinfectant, that is, we can disinfect a large number of people. But now, it has been discovered that the use of these tunnels gives a false sense of security and may have adverse health effects on the human body.”
Sodium hypochlorite is a chlorine compound often used as a disinfectant or a bleaching agent.
Thakur added that spraying alcohol or chlorine all over the body will not kill viruses that have already entered the body. “How will a surface disinfectant stop the virus from spreading from human to human, and how will it kill a virus already in the body? We need to think about this.”
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), disinfectants will work on surfaces, but not on the human body. In a public advisory, WHO stated, “Spraying alcohol or chlorine all over your body will not kill viruses that have already entered your body. Spraying such substances can be harmful to clothes or mucous membranes in the eyes, and mouth. Beware that both alcohol and chlorine can be useful to disinfect surfaces, but they need to be used under appropriate recommendations.”
HARMFUL EFFECTS
Although a 0.5 percent solution of hypochlorite known as Dakin solution is used for disinfecting areas contaminated with bodily fluids, including large blood spills, a higher concentration of sodium hypochlorite (5%) exposure may cause nasal and ocular irritation, sore throat and coughing.
A stronger concentration (10-15%) can cause serious damages including burning pain, redness, swelling and blisters, damage to the respiratory tract as well as the esophagus, serious eye damage, stomach ache, a burning sensation, diarrhea and vomiting.
