![]() ![]() “We do know that social distancing is our most effective means of controlling transmission. However, if you haven’t been able to keep a safe social distance from others or, even worse, someone has coughed or sneezed in your direct vicinity, washing those clothes would be a good idea.īut, in general, focusing on other areas of hygiene such as keeping hands clean and not touching your face is more important than laundering clothes. The average trip to the grocery store shouldn’t necessitate doing the laundry as soon as you get home. This includes, in particular, high risk individuals such as healthcare workers. If you are taking care of or frequently in close proximity to an individual with COVID-19, doing laundry often is an essential part of preventive hygiene. When you should take extra precaution with clothes ![]() Transfer of the virus via clothing is unlikely, but the experts interviewed by Healthline agreed there are a few scenarios in which immediate laundering is a good idea. “Clothing is usually more of a mesh than a hard surface, which could potentially aerate the environment more readily,” said Jordan. The nature of most cloth materials is not conducive to this. Humidity and moisture play a significant environmental role in whether or not a virus can thrive. Kathleen Jordan, an infectious disease specialist and vice president at CommonSpirit Health, told Healthline. “Our best studies in this area are with influenza and other previously known viruses, but clothing in general is not thought to be the best incubator of viruses,” Dr. While metal and plastic can provide a haven for the virus for up to 2 to 3 days, clothing is not considered a material conducive to its survival. However, we do know that the novel coronavirus is capable of surviving outside the human body on different surfaces, which can result in transmission if touched.ĭepending on the type of surface, experts estimate that the virus can survive for just a few hours up to a few days. Coughing and sneezing by an infected individual in close proximity to another person are the most likely means of direct transmission. ![]() Vincent Hsu, MPH, a board-certified internal medicine, infectious diseases, and preventive medicine physician at AdventHealth in Orlando, told Healthline.Īccording to Hsu, there have been no documented cases of transmission of the novel coronavirus via clothing and shoes at this point.ĬOVID-19, the flu-like respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus, is spread by respiratory droplets. We don’t believe shoes or clothing are a significant source of transmission,” Dr. But this is our current understanding: If you are out for a run in your neighborhood or making a quick visit to the grocery store, it is highly unlikely that you would contract COVID-19 via your clothes or shoes. “There’s a lot we don’t know about this virus, and we are learning more about it every day. Here’s what we know about the transmission of the novel coronavirus through common articles of clothing. There are certain inevitable truths to going shopping, and one of them is that you’re going to wear shoes and clothes to do it. Are your groceries safe? Plastic bags? What about the clothes you’re wearing? Your shoes? Still, there’s a nagging feeling that even though you’re maintaining good hygiene, you’re worried about the objects you’ve brought home with you. You wash your hands frequently and disinfect “high contact” surfaces like doorknobs and countertops when you get home. When you go out you practice safe social distancing. You’re only making essential trips out for groceries. Visit our coronavirus hub and follow our live updates page for the most recent information on the COVID-19 pandemic.Įven if you’re doing your best in a self-quarantine situation to keep yourself safe, how do you keep the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, from getting in? Most household detergents are sufficient to kill the virus when doing laundry.Īll data and statistics are based on publicly available data at the time of publication. ![]() This includes, in particular, high risk individuals such as healthcare workers.If you are taking care of or frequently in close proximity to an individual with COVID-19, doing laundry often is an essential part of preventive hygiene.There have been no documented cases of transmission of the novel coronavirus via clothing and shoes at this point.Share on Pinterest Transfer of the novel coronavirus via clothing is unlikely, but experts agree there are a few scenarios in which immediate laundering is a good idea. ![]()
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