Areas with surfaces that are frequently touched by many different people can pose a risk to public health because of the significant challenge for continuous cleaning and disinfection.

Recognizing a real need for more information to reduce potential exposure to SARS-CoV-2 on these kinds of surfaces, researchers are evaluating a number of commercially available products for potential long-lasting effectiveness against the virus. Currently, EPA-registered products with long-lasting effectiveness claims are limited to those that control odor-causing bacteria on hard, non-porous surfaces; there are no EPA registered products with public health claims that provide long-lasting (e.g., weeks to months) disinfection. The benefits of having a longer-lasting antimicrobial product are important, especially when cleaning and disinfecting a surface or object cannot be accomplished every time someone new touches it.

The assessment process used by EPA researchers will help determine whether currently registered antimicrobial disinfectant products provide residual disinfection on surfaces over time and how durable the disinfection ability of the product is with normal use, including routine cleaning, and natural weathering.

EPA will make the results of this research publicly available to help inform decisions on the use of longer-lasting disinfection products, including information on the frequency of use to maintain disinfection capabilities over time. 

Long-lasting SARS CoV-2 Disinfection Test Results