Facts You Should Know About Ebola and Stomach Virus

This is not a typical post from Prayer in Every City, but my research on stomach virus today was so informative that I have to share it with you.  Stomach virus is highly contagious, germs can live on surfaces for up to 3 weeks and a person can be contagious from 3 days to 2 weeks after symptoms disappear. No wonder cruise ships, airplanes and classrooms can be breeding grounds for this common bug.

Have the recent headlines about Ebola caused you to run to the store and stock up on hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes and disinfectant sprays?
I know I have added some of these items to my grocery cart lately. Just want to be prepared before the shelves are bare. Are these cleaners, sanitizers and sprays effective against Ebola or norovirus? According to my research, no, but most of these products work for flu and common colds

Lysol All-Purpose Cleaner is ineffective against norovirus and Ebola
I have to admit that I contracted a mild stomach virus this week so I have been “sanitizing” my bathrooms with Lysol All-Purpose Cleaner believing that I was protecting my family. Well, guess what? This product does not work on stomach virus (norovirus). I was shocked when I found this out. It is not approved for Ebola either. So my family has not been protected from my germs.

Alcohol based hand sanitizers are not effective against stomach virus or Ebola. Neither are most disinfecting wipes. The norovirus is  very hard to kill. The most effective way to kill the Ebola virus as well as norovirus is with bleach. Not all cleaners with bleach are effective. It is best to make your own solution everyday. The CDC also recommends using a new bottle of Clorox every 30 days for Ebola. The Clorox/water ratio for most viruses is different depending on the surface type. Here is a chart Bleach Solution Concentration for recommended ratios.

If you wish to know more about how to protect against Ebola, then I recommend researching the CDC Ebola website.

Effective Cleaning Products to Use
Lysol has some products which are approved for stomach virus, however, they don’t have any products tested for Ebola. Here is a list of Lysol products from their website: Lysol Products. You might be surprised at what you find when you see the effectiveness of these products you have trusted. Many of the hand sanitizers and wipes are not approved for norovirus. Professional LYSOL® Brand _III Disinfectant Spray (Ready-To-Use) is effective for notovirus, but untested for Ebola.

Not all Clorox cleaners are approved for norovirus. Here is a link for approved Clorox products: Clorox

How to Protect Against Spread of Norovirus (Stomach Virus) according to CDC
1. Wash hands carefully with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. (Do not use hand sanitizers as a substitute for hand washing.)
2. Clean and Disinfect contaminated surfaces with a bleach solution or approved norovirus disinfectant.
3. Wash laundry thoroughly
4. Do not prepare food for others for at least 3 days after you recover.

So, Moms, according to the CDC, you are excused from meal preparation when you are showing symptoms of stomach virus and for at least 3 days after you recover.

Check Out CDC’s Website For More Information On Norovirus
http://www.cdc.gov/Features/Norovirus/

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or a scientist. Please do your own research to find out more about contagious diseases and viruses.