Go back
Can any doctors explain why do people use benzalkonium chloride or other types of Quaternary ammonium
mention that they use that to disinfect coronaviruses? Although sars cov 2 is an enveloped virus and therefore easier to break its crown like structure, publications and studies on NIMH and other journals seem to suggest that quat and benza chloride seems to be not effective against this virus. It merely reduces it's growth but do not "kill" it. Also, there are disinfecting companies claiming that they can apply a 'self-disinfecting' coat of ions on the surface and it will be potent for 6 months. I have my reservations on this. Can any doctors debunk/support such claims?
In many countries, people who have recovered are found to be infected again. And people who are infected, while recovered, have suffered long term repercussions such as pulmonary fibrosis? How likely is this in Singapore?
Also, there are claims and even a local specialist mentioned that Vitamin D might be somewhat useful in capsules. How strong is this statement?
any doctors can shed some light?
In many countries, people who have recovered are found to be infected again. And people who are infected, while recovered, have suffered long term repercussions such as pulmonary fibrosis? How likely is this in Singapore?
Also, there are claims and even a local specialist mentioned that Vitamin D might be somewhat useful in capsules. How strong is this statement?
any doctors can shed some light?
1 answers
0 comments
593 views
Sign in to comment
Join the discussions relating to the Corona Virus and help fight medical misinformation. The 2019–20 coronavirus outbreak is an ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 caused by SARS-CoV-2, which started in December 2019. It was first identified in Wuhan, capital of Hubei province China. Join us in discussions relating to the virus, how we can stay safe and how to avoid fake news or misinformation.
- By posting a question, you agree that responses are for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Responses by doctors or other users on our platform is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your doctor or other qualified healthcare provider regarding a medical condition, procedure, or treatment. If you think you may have a medical emergency or crisis, call your physician or 995 (or your local emergency number) immediately.
- If you have a medical emergency or are in a crisis, please visit our Crisis Page for resources in your area.
- Mentioning these questions will be removed to protect the doctors on our platform.
With regards to re-infections, studies are being conducted locally and abroad to understand this risk. One consideration is that existing reports of re-infections from other countries are based on the use of early versions of COVID-19 tests that became available at the start of the outbreak. These are imperfect with high rates of false positives/negatives reported in various cross-validation studies.
Therefore, it is possible that the patient(s) in question may have had a false negative test, whereby subsequent testing was a true positive and may have wrongly led to the conclusion of re-infection. In other words, with studies still ongoing, it is still too early to make any conclusions about this. Fortunately in Singapore, we have taken a conservative approach to guard against this by only considering patients as "recovered" after multiple consecutive negative tests.
Long-term repercussions such as pulmonary fibrosis are driven by the disease rather than the context (aside from variations in national mortality rates), and will likely be the same in Singapore as they are elsewhere. The claim about vitamin D does not appear to be based on any definitive evidence that I can find.