City
Epaper

Centre to SC: Spraying disinfectants on humans physically harmful

By IANS | Published: September 07, 2020 4:15 PM

New Delhi, Sep 7 The Centre has informed the Supreme Court that spraying of disinfectants on humans is ...

Open in App

New Delhi, Sep 7 The Centre has informed the Supreme Court that spraying of disinfectants on humans is not recommended under any circumstances, as spraying any chemical disinfectant is physically and psychologically harmful.

In an affidavit, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare informed the Apex Court that the Directorate General of Health Services held a meeting of experts in June on the use of disinfectant tunnels, use of various chemicals and spraying of disinfectants along with the efficacy of such use of spraying/fogging.

An experts committee in April had said that chemicals are harmful to the human skin and the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract, if inhaled. "External spraying of any chemical disinfectant does not kill the virus that has already entered the body of a person, who has earlier been exposed to the virus", said the committee.

The committee agreed with suggestions made by another committee in April that "spraying of the individuals with disinfectants (tunnels, chambers, cabinets, etc.) is not recommended" in both healthcare and non-healthcare settings. "It is also observed that in indoor spaces, routine application of disinfectants to environmental surfaces by spraying/fogging is not recommended for Covid-19 as the disinfectants may not be removing organic material and may miss surfaces shielded by objects, folded fabrics or surfaces with intricate designs", said the affidavit.

The committee also observed that spraying of outdoor spaces, such as streets or marketplaces, is also not recommended to kill the Covid-19 virus or other pathogens because disinfectant is inactivated by dirt and debris and it is not feasible to manually clean and remove all organic matter from such spaces. "It is submitted in particular that Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has not written any letter or issued any advisory on the use of ultra violet lights for disinfection of humans for Covid-19 management", said the affidavit.

The response from the Centre came on a plea filed by a law student Gursimran Singh Narula, seeking an immediate ban on the usage, installation, production, advertisement of disinfection tunnels involving spraying or fumigation of chemical disinfectants to contain the spread of Covid-19.

The plea argued that in the guise of preventing Covid-19 many sanitization and disinfection devices have emerged which wrongfully claim to be effective in preventing the spread of this virus. "These include disinfection tunnels involving spraying and fumigation of disinfectants and disinfection tunnels exposing human beings to ultra violet rays with a belief of disinfecting them. The World Health Organization (WHO) and many other scientific authorities across the world have warned about their ineffectiveness and dangerous after effects", said the plea.

( With inputs from IANS )

Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor

Tags: Gursimran singh narulaSupreme CourtMinistry Of Health And Family WelfareHealth and family welfare ministryMinistry of health and familyMinister for health and family welfareMinistry of health and family welfare ministryThe health and family welfareIndian health ministryHealth ministry of bangladesh
Open in App

Related Stories

NationalSupreme Court Refuses Urgent Hearing of Arvind Kejriwal's Plea Seeking 7-day Extension of Interim Bail

NationalExcise Policy Scam: Arvind Kejriwal Moves Supreme Court Seeking 7-Day Extension of Interim Bail in Money Laundering Case

NationalSupreme Court Declines to Mandate ECI to Release Total Votes Cast per Booth Information

NationalUploading Vote Poll Records Online Could Lead to Mischief: ECI Tells Supreme Court

NationalSupreme Court Rejects Bail to Uttarakhand School Student for Circulating Videos of 14-Year-Old Girl Linked to Teen's Suicide

National Realted Stories

NationalStudent, two others killed as heavy rains lash Assam, cause flooding; Red alert issued for 10 districts

NationalHeavy rains, landslide leave trail of destruction across northeast India, 36 dead in 4 states

NationalHeat stroke claims 3 more lives in Jaipur

National'A non issue', Odisha CM reacts to BJP's jibe over 'controlling hand' after video with Pandian goes viral

NationalRajasthan: Hospital's registration cancelled after doc removes wrong kidney