Lysol Disinfectant Spray effective against COVID-19: EPA
Lysol bottles on a store shelf, plastic spray bottles of all-purpose cleaner. The product is distributed by Reckitt Benckiser. (Photo by Roberto Machado Noa/LightRocket via Getty Images)
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved the use of Lysol's disinfectant spray to protect against COVID-19.
Two products, Lysol Disinfectant Spray and Lysol Disinfectant Max Cover Mist, are the first disinfectant products to be approved by the EPA as effective against SARS-COV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, the company said Monday.
The products were reportedly tested by the EPA in a laboratory and found they were able to kill the virus on surfaces within two minutes of use.
"The EPA's approval recognizes that using Lysol Disinfectant Spray can help to prevent the spread of COVID-19 on hard, non-porous surfaces. In the face of the pandemic, Lysol continues to work with a wide range of scientific and health experts to educate the public on the importance of hygiene,” Rahul Kadyan, Executive Vice President of Hygiene for Reckitt Benckiser, Lysol’s parent company, said in a statement.
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The popular disinfectant cleaners flew off grocery store shelves at the height of the pandemic in March when Americans began hoarding cleaning products like disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer. Reckitt Benckiser reported major sales growth in the first quarter as customers continued to stockpile disinfectants as stay-at-home orders were instituted nationwide.
Reckitt Benckiser made headlines earlier this year when the company urged against any internal use of its products to treat the novel coronavirus after President Trump suggested that receiving an injection could help people who were infected with the virus.
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"As a global leader in health and hygiene products, we must be clear that under no circumstance should our disinfectant products be administered into the human body (through injection, ingestion or any other route)," the company said in a statement in April. "As with all products, our disinfectant and hygiene products should only be used as intended and in line with usage guidelines. Please read the label and safety information."
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