Coronavirus – vitrodx^® Panic vs Common Sense

A lot of people are getting sick worldwide. But not because of the Covid-19 virus, better known as coronavirus, but because of the fear that’s dominating media and social media, infiltrating their thoughts and sleep throughout the day.

Should we be panicking? After all we’ve only got 17 reported cases up to today in South Africa and only two people out of 60 reported cases dying in the whole of Africa.

According to Burt Rodrigues, CEO of Biodx Africa is not a good area for such a virus. “With such strong exposure to the sun and therefore high levels of Vitamin D present, this already provides a barrier to the Covid-19 virus. It’s scientifically proven that such exposure will give you 20% more resistance to getting infected.¹ And if you look at the current cases in South Africa these have all come from northern areas such as Europe and America.

How dangerous are surface areas?

According to Burt Rodrigues, CEO of Biodx “One of the biggest areas of concern, even without this new threat, is our healthcare facilities, where people with already weakened immune systems reside. vitrodx^® disinfectant, with its natural anti-microbial compound has been specially formulated for use in such facilities. Our active ingredient has been tested according to EN14476:2013+A2 2019 and is effective against envelope viruses such as Covid-19.²

“As with most infection control surface disinfection a long residual efficacy is critical. vitrodx^® was designed for such purposes with 99.9% kill efficacy and retaining residual efficacy for up to seven hours on surfaces.

Myths and truths about prevention

“Even though right now there are so few local cases we should still take precautions and follow the guidelines that have been given. There is also a lot of misinformation out there and people climbing on the commercial bandwagon, selling masks that have gone up in cost ten times since the outbreak and which don’t even afford any protection against the virus. Another marketing heyday is people selling hand sanitisers. Unless these contain 70 alcohol or ethanol they’re totally ineffective. Just having the word ‘sanitiser’ is not enough!

What to do

What particularly concerns healthcare experts, is that to date there is no drug that can conquer this fungus. And although hospitals, particularly private clinics, pride themselves on their cleaning regime, according to the CDC (Centre for Disease Control) this superbug can survive on surfaces like walls and furniture for weeks on end. Those who fall victim to it are highly unlikely to survive.

• Wash your hands with soap and water, lathering and rubbing for 20 seconds before drying completely
• Or use a 70% alcohol based hand rub
• Maintain at least 1 metre distance between yourself and anyone coughing or sneezing
• Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth as these areas are susceptible to the virus
• If you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing seek medical advice early

References:

1. Dr John Campbell
2. Lonza document