COVID-19

== Prevention ==
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{{Further|COVID-19 vaccine|Workplace hazard controls for COVID-19|Pandemic prevention|Non-pharmaceutical intervention (epidemiology){{!}}Non-pharmaceutical intervention|Pandemic predictions and preparations prior to the COVID-19 pandemic{{!}}Preparations prior to COVID-19|COVID-19 surveillance|COVID-19 apps}}
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[[File:20200609 Effect of pandemic containment measures.gif|thumb|upright=1|Without pandemic containment measures{{snd}}such as social distancing, vaccination, and face masks{{snd}}pathogens can spread exponentially.<ref name=Science_20200515>{{#invoke:cite journal || vauthors = Maier BF, Brockmann D | title = Effective containment explains subexponential growth in recent confirmed COVID-19 cases in China | journal = Science | volume = 368 | issue = 6492 | pages = 742–746 | date = May 2020 | pmid = 32269067 | pmc = 7164388 | doi = 10.1126/science.abb4557| arxiv=2002.07572 | title-link = doi | doi-access = free | bibcode = 2020Sci...368..742M }} ("...{{spaces}}initial exponential growth expected for an unconstrained outbreak".)</ref> This graphic shows how early adoption of containment measures tends to protect wider swaths of the population.]]

Preventive measures to reduce the chances of infection include getting vaccinated, staying at home, wearing a mask in public, avoiding crowded places, keeping distance from others, ventilating indoor spaces, managing potential exposure durations,<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://reallycorrect.com/ReallyCorrectWp1/covid-19-safety-information-ideas/#Viral-Load-Exposure-Factors|title=Viral Load Exposure Factors|website=ReallyCorrect.com}}</ref> washing hands with soap and water often and for at least twenty seconds, practising good respiratory hygiene, and avoiding touching the eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.<ref name="CDC042020">{{#invoke:Cite web||date=28 June 2020|title=Recommendation Regarding the Use of Cloth Face Coverings, Especially in Areas of Significant Community-Based Transmission|work=U.S. [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]] (CDC) |url=https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover.html}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||title=Scientific Brief: SARS-CoV-2 and Potential Airborne Transmission |url=https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/more/scientific-brief-sars-cov-2.html |website=COVID-19 Published Science and Research |date=11 February 2020 |publisher=U.S. [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]] (CDC) |access-date=30 October 2020}}</ref>

Those diagnosed with COVID‑19 or who believe they may be infected are advised by the CDC to stay home except to get medical care, call ahead before visiting a healthcare provider, [[#Face masks and respiratory hygiene|wear a face mask]] before entering the healthcare provider's office and when in any room or vehicle with another person, cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue, regularly wash hands with soap and water and avoid sharing personal household items.<ref name="CDC2020IfSick">{{#invoke:Cite web||date=5 April 2020|title=What to Do if You Are Sick|url=https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/steps-when-sick.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200214153016/https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/steps-when-sick.html|archive-date=14 February 2020|access-date=24 April 2020|website=U.S. [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]] (CDC)|vauthors=((Centers for Disease Control and Prevention))}}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||date=10 March 2020|title=Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) – Prevention & Treatment |url=https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/prevention.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200311163637/https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/prevention.html|archive-date=11 March 2020|access-date=11 March 2020|work=U.S. [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]] (CDC)}}</ref>

The first [[COVID‑19 vaccine]] was granted regulatory approval on 2{{spaces}}December 2020 by the UK medicines regulator [[Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency|MHRA]].<ref name="ukgov12-2">{{#invoke:Cite web||title=UK medicines regulator gives approval for first UK COVID-19 vaccine |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-medicines-regulator-gives-approval-for-first-uk-covid-19-vaccine |publisher=Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, Government of the UK |access-date=2 December 2020 |date=2 December 2020}}</ref> It was evaluated for [[emergency use authorisation]] (EUA) status by the US [[Food and Drugs Administration|FDA]], and in several other countries.<ref name="mueller">{{#invoke:cite news || vauthors = Mueller B |title=U.K. Approves Pfizer Coronavirus Vaccine, a First in the West |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/02/world/europe/pfizer-coronavirus-vaccine-approved-uk.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202071559/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/02/world/europe/pfizer-coronavirus-vaccine-approved-uk.html |archive-date=2 December 2020 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=2 December 2020 |work=The New York Times |date=2 December 2020}}</ref> Initially, the US [[National Institutes of Health]] guidelines do not recommend any medication for prevention of COVID‑19, before or after exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, outside the setting of a clinical trial.<ref name="NIHGuidelines2020">{{#invoke:Cite web||title=COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines |url=https://covid19treatmentguidelines.nih.gov/introduction/ |website=nih.gov |publisher=National Institutes of Health |access-date=21 April 2020}}</ref><ref name="Sanders202022" /> Without a vaccine, other prophylactic measures, or effective treatments, a key part of managing COVID‑19 is trying to decrease and delay the epidemic peak, known as "flattening the [[epidemic curve|curve]]".<ref name="Lancet2020Flatten">{{#invoke:cite journal || vauthors = Anderson RM, Heesterbeek H, Klinkenberg D, Hollingsworth TD | title = How will country-based mitigation measures influence the course of the COVID-19 epidemic? | journal = Lancet | volume = 395 | issue = 10228 | pages = 931–934 | date = March 2020 | pmid = 32164834 | pmc = 7158572 | doi = 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30567-5 | quote = A key issue for epidemiologists is helping policy makers decide the main objectives of mitigation{{snd}}e.g. minimising morbidity and associated mortality, avoiding an epidemic peak that overwhelms health-care services, keeping the effects on the economy within manageable levels, and flattening the epidemic curve to wait for vaccine development and manufacture on scale and antiviral drug therapies. | doi-access = free | title-link = doi }}</ref> This is done by slowing the infection rate to decrease the risk of health services being overwhelmed, allowing for better treatment of active cases, and delaying additional cases until effective treatments or a vaccine become available.<ref name="Lancet2020Flatten" /><ref name="Wiles">{{#invoke:Cite web|| vauthors = Wiles S |title=After 'Flatten the Curve', we must now 'Stop the Spread'. Here's what that means |url=https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/14-03-2020/after-flatten-the-curve-we-must-now-stop-the-spread-heres-what-that-means/ |website=The Spinoff |access-date=13 March 2020 |date=14 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200326232315/https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/14-03-2020/after-flatten-the-curve-we-must-now-stop-the-spread-heres-what-that-means/ |archive-date=26 March 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Vaccine ===
{{Main|COVID-19 vaccine}}
[[File:Fphar-11-00937-g004-L.jpg|thumb|Different vaccine candidate types in development for SARS-CoV-2]]
[[File:2021- COVID-19 death rates by vaccination status - US.svg|thumb|Death rates for unvaccinated Americans substantially exceeded those who were vaccinated, with bivalent boosters further reducing the death rate.<ref name=COVIDmortality_2021_2023>{{#invoke:cite web ||title=Data on COVID-19 mortality by vaccination status |url=https://ourworldindata.org/covid-deaths-by-vaccination |publisher=Our World in Data (CDC data) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231016112249/https://ourworldindata.org/covid-deaths-by-vaccination |archive-date=16 October 2023 |date=April 2023 |quote=Data source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Vaccine Breakthrough/Surveillance and Analytics Team. |url-status=live }}</ref>]]
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{{Excerpt|COVID-19 vaccine|hat=no|paragraphs=4-7}}

=== Face masks and respiratory hygiene ===
{{Main|Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic}}
[[File:2009Julija-210.jpg|thumb|Masks with an exhalation valve. The valves are a weak point that can transmit the viruses outwards.]]

{{Excerpt|Face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic|hat=no|paragraphs=2-4}}

=== Indoor ventilation and avoiding crowded indoor spaces ===
The CDC states that avoiding crowded indoor spaces reduces the risk of COVID-19 infection.<ref name="CDC-2020b">{{#invoke:Cite web||last=CDC|date=11 February 2020|title=Scientific Brief: SARS-CoV-2 Transmission|url=https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/science/science-briefs/sars-cov-2-transmission.html|access-date=10 May 2021|website=U.S. [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]] (CDC) }}</ref> When indoors, increasing the rate of air change, decreasing recirculation of air and increasing the use of outdoor air can reduce transmission.<ref name="CDC-2020b" /><ref name="ecdc_transmission2">{{#invoke:Cite web||date=7 September 2020|title=Transmission of COVID-19 |url=https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/covid-19/latest-evidence/transmission|access-date=14 October 2020|publisher=[[European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control]]}}</ref> The WHO recommends [[Ventilation (architecture)|ventilation]] and [[air filtration]] in public spaces to help clear out infectious aerosols.<ref name="CDCasof07092020" /><ref name="KoFZO">{{#invoke:cite AV media ||date=30 October 2020 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJC1f7F4qtc |title=WHO's Science in 5 on COVID-19 – Ventilation – 30 October 2020 |publisher=[[World Health Organization (WHO)]] |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=8 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221025043909/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJC1f7F4qtc |archive-date=25 October 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Lancetdroplet05272020">{{#invoke:cite journal||vauthors=Somsen GA, van Rijn C, Kooij S, Bem RA, Bonn D|date=July 2020|title=Small droplet aerosols in poorly ventilated spaces and SARS-CoV-2 transmission|journal=The Lancet. Respiratory Medicine|publisher=Elsesier|volume=8|issue=7|pages=658–659 |doi=10.1016/S2213-2600(20)30245-9|pmc=7255254|pmid=32473123}}</ref>

Exhaled respiratory particles can build-up within enclosed spaces with inadequate [[Ventilation (architecture)|ventilation]]. The risk of COVID‑19 infection increases especially in spaces where people engage in physical exertion or raise their voice (e.g., exercising, shouting, singing) as this increases exhalation of respiratory droplets. Prolonged exposure to these conditions, typically more than 15 minutes, leads to higher risk of infection.<ref name="CDC-2020b" />

[[Displacement ventilation]] with large natural inlets can move stale air directly to the exhaust in [[laminar flow]] while significantly reducing the concentration of droplets and particles. [[Passive ventilation]] reduces energy consumption and maintenance costs but may lack [[Demand controlled ventilation|controllability]] and [[Heat recovery ventilation|heat recovery]]. Displacement ventilation can also be achieved mechanically with higher energy and maintenance costs. The use of large ducts and openings helps to prevent mixing in closed environments. Recirculation and mixing should be avoided because recirculation prevents dilution of harmful particles and redistributes possibly contaminated air, and mixing increases the concentration and range of infectious particles and keeps larger particles in the air.<ref>{{#invoke:cite journal ||vauthors=Lipinski T, Ahmad D, Serey N, Jouhara H |date=1 November 2020 |title=Review of ventilation strategies to reduce the risk of disease transmission in high occupancy buildings |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266620272030032X |journal=International Journal of Thermofluids |volume=7–8 |pages=100045 |doi=10.1016/j.ijft.2020.100045 |s2cid=221642242 |issn=2666-2027}}</ref>

=== Hand-washing and hygiene ===
{{Main|Hand washing}}
[[File:In Rwanda build where everyone can wash hand in prevention of covid-19.jpg|thumb|Students in [[Rwanda]] hand washing and wearing face masks during the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Rwanda|COVID‑19 pandemic in the country]].]]
Thorough hand hygiene after any cough or sneeze is required.<ref name="nhs.uk-2020">{{#invoke:Cite web||date=2 June 2020|title=Social distancing: what you need to do – Coronavirus (COVID-19) |url=https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/social-distancing/what-you-need-to-do/|access-date=18 August 2020|website=nhs.uk}}</ref> The WHO also recommends that individuals wash hands often with soap and water for at least twenty seconds, especially after going to the toilet or when hands are visibly dirty, before eating and after blowing one's nose.<ref name="WHO-2020b">{{#invoke:Cite web||title=Advice for the public on COVID-19 – World Health Organization|url=https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public|access-date=18 August 2020|website=[[World Health Organization]] (WHO)}}</ref> When soap and water are not available, the CDC recommends using an alcohol-based [[hand sanitiser]] with at least 60% alcohol.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||date=11 February 2020|title=COVID-19 and Your Health|url=https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/hand-sanitizer.html|access-date=23 March 2021|website=U.S. [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]] (CDC)|quote=To prevent the spread of germs, including COVID-19, CDC recommends washing hands with soap and water whenever possible because it reduces the amount of many types of germs and chemicals on hands. But if soap and water are not readily available, using a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol can help you avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others.}}</ref> For areas where commercial hand sanitisers are not readily available, the WHO provides two formulations for local production. In these formulations, the antimicrobial activity arises from [[ethanol]] or [[isopropanol]]. [[Hydrogen peroxide]] is used to help eliminate [[bacterial spores]] in the alcohol; it is "not an active substance for hand [[antisepsis]]". [[Glycerol]] is added as a [[humectant]].<ref>{{#invoke:cite book||title=WHO Guidelines on Hand Hygiene in Health Care: First Global Patient Safety Challenge Clean Care Is Safer Care|date=19 March 2009|publisher=[[World Health Organization]] (WHO)|chapter=WHO-recommended handrub formulations|access-date=19 March 2020|chapter-url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK144054/}}</ref>

=== Social distancing ===
{{Main|Social distancing measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic}}
Social distancing (also known as physical distancing) includes [[infection control]] actions intended to slow the spread of the disease by minimising close contact between individuals. Methods include quarantines; travel restrictions; and the closing of schools, workplaces, stadiums, theatres, or shopping centres. Individuals may apply social distancing methods by staying at home, limiting travel, avoiding crowded areas, using no-contact greetings, and physically distancing themselves from others.<ref>{{#invoke:cite journal || vauthors = Nussbaumer-Streit B, Mayr V, Dobrescu AI, Chapman A, Persad E, Klerings I, Wagner G, Siebert U, Ledinger D, Zachariah C, Gartlehner G |date=September 2020 |title=Quarantine alone or in combination with other public health measures to control COVID-19: a rapid review |journal=The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews |volume=2020 |issue=9 |pages=CD013574 |doi=10.1002/14651858.CD013574.pub2 |issn=1469-493X |pmc=8133397 |pmid=33959956 }}</ref>

In 2020, outbreaks occurred in prisons due to crowding and an inability to enforce adequate social distancing.<ref name="Hawks2020" /><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web|| vauthors = Waldstein D |title=To Fight Virus in Prisons, C.D.C. Suggests More Screenings |website=The New York Times |date=6 May 2020 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/06/health/coronavirus-prisons-cdc.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200507161241/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/06/health/coronavirus-prisons-cdc.html |archive-date=7 May 2020 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=14 May 2020}}</ref> In the United States, the prisoner population is ageing and many of them are at high risk for poor outcomes from COVID‑19 due to high rates of coexisting heart and lung disease, and poor access to high-quality healthcare.<ref name="Hawks2020">{{#invoke:cite journal || vauthors = Hawks L, Woolhandler S, McCormick D | title = COVID-19 in Prisons and Jails in the United States | journal = JAMA Internal Medicine | volume = 180 | issue = 8 | pages = 1041–1042 | date = August 2020 | pmid = 32343355 | doi = 10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.1856 | doi-access = free | title-link = doi }}</ref>

=== Surface cleaning ===
After being expelled from the body, coronaviruses can survive on surfaces for hours to days. If a person touches the dirty surface, they may deposit the virus at the eyes, nose, or mouth where it can enter the body and cause infection.<ref name="CDCTrans">{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/how-covid-spreads.html |title=How COVID-19 Spreads |date=18 September 2020 |website=U.S. [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]] (CDC) |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200919224920/https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/how-covid-spreads.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fprepare%2Ftransmission.html |archive-date=19 September 2020 |access-date=20 September 2020}}</ref> Evidence indicates that contact with infected surfaces is not the main driver of COVID‑19,<ref>{{#invoke:cite journal || vauthors = Goldman E | title = Exaggerated risk of transmission of COVID-19 by fomites | journal = The Lancet. Infectious Diseases | volume = 20 | issue = 8 | pages = 892–893 | date = August 2020 | pmid = 32628907 | pmc = 7333993 | doi = 10.1016/S1473-3099(20)30561-2 }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web|| vauthors = Weixel N |date=5 April 2021|title=CDC says risk of COVID-19 transmission on surfaces 1 in 10,000|url=https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/546541-cdc-risk-of-covid-transmission-on-surfaces-is-low|access-date=19 December 2021|website=The Hill}}</ref><ref name="cdc.gov">{{#invoke:Cite web||date=5 April 2021|title=Science Brief: SARS-CoV-2 and Surface (Fomite) Transmission for Indoor Community Environments|url=https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/more/science-and-research/surface-transmission.html|url-status=live |website=U.S. [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]] (CDC)|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210405151126/https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/more/science-and-research/surface-transmission.html |archive-date=5 April 2021 }}</ref> leading to recommendations for optimised disinfection procedures to avoid issues such as the increase of [[antimicrobial resistance]] through the use of inappropriate cleaning products and processes.<ref name="disinfection-foodindus" /><ref>{{#invoke:cite journal || vauthors = Rezasoltani S, Yadegar A, Hatami B, Asadzadeh Aghdaei H, Zali MR | title = Antimicrobial Resistance as a Hidden Menace Lurking Behind the COVID-19 Outbreak: The Global Impacts of Too Much Hygiene on AMR | journal = Frontiers in Microbiology | volume = 11 | pages = 590683 | year = 2020 | pmid = 33384670 | pmc = 7769770 | doi = 10.3389/fmicb.2020.590683 | doi-access = free | title-link = doi }}</ref> [[Deep clean (COVID-19)|Deep cleaning]] and other surface sanitation has been criticised as [[hygiene theater|hygiene theatre]], giving a false sense of security against something primarily spread through the air.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web|| vauthors = Thompson D |date=8 February 2021|title=Hygiene Theater Is Still a Huge Waste of Time|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/02/hygiene-theater-still-waste/617939/|access-date=27 February 2021|website=The Atlantic }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:Cite web|| vauthors = Thompson D |date=27 July 2020|title=Hygiene Theater Is a Huge Waste of Time |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/07/scourge-hygiene-theater/614599/|access-date=27 February 2021|website=The Atlantic }}</ref>

The amount of time that the virus can survive depends significantly on the type of surface, the temperature, and the humidity.<ref name="Bueckert-2020">{{#invoke:cite journal || vauthors = Bueckert M, Gupta R, Gupta A, Garg M, Mazumder A | title = Infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 and Other Coronaviruses on Dry Surfaces: Potential for Indirect Transmission | journal = Materials | volume = 13 | issue = 22 | page = 5211 | date = November 2020 | pmid = 33218120 | pmc = 7698891 | doi = 10.3390/ma13225211 | bibcode = 2020Mate...13.5211B | doi-access = free | title-link = doi }}</ref> Coronaviruses die very quickly when exposed to the [[UV light]] in [[sunlight]].<ref name="Bueckert-2020" /> Like other enveloped viruses, SARS-CoV-2 survives longest when the temperature is at [[room temperature]] or lower, and when the [[relative humidity]] is low (<50%).<ref name="Bueckert-2020" />

On many surfaces, including glass, some types of plastic, stainless steel, and skin, the virus can remain infective for several days indoors at room temperature, or even about a week under ideal conditions.<ref name="Bueckert-2020" /><ref>{{#invoke:cite journal || vauthors = Bhardwaj R, Agrawal A | title = How coronavirus survives for days on surfaces | journal = Physics of Fluids | volume = 32 | issue = 11 | pages = 111706 | date = November 2020 | pmid = 33281435 | pmc = 7713872 | doi = 10.1063/5.0033306 | bibcode = 2020PhFl...32k1706B }}</ref> On some surfaces, including cotton fabric and copper, the virus usually dies after a few hours.<ref name="Bueckert-2020" /> The virus dies faster on porous surfaces than on non-porous surfaces due to capillary action within pores and faster aerosol droplet evaporation.<ref>{{#invoke:cite journal || vauthors = Chatterjee S, Murallidharan JS, Agrawal A, Bhardwaj R | title = Why coronavirus survives longer on impermeable than porous surfaces | journal = Physics of Fluids | volume = 33 | issue = 2 | pages = 021701 | date = February 2021 | pmid = 33746485 | pmc = 7978145 | doi = 10.1063/5.0037924 | bibcode = 2021PhFl...33b1701C }}</ref><ref name="cdc.gov" /><ref name="Bueckert-2020" /> However, of the many surfaces tested, two with the longest survival times are N95 respirator masks and surgical masks, both of which are considered porous surfaces.<ref name="Bueckert-2020" />

The CDC says that in most situations, cleaning surfaces with soap or detergent, not disinfecting, is enough to reduce risk of transmission.<ref name="CDC-2020a">{{#invoke:Cite web||last=CDC|date=11 February 2020|title=Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)|url=https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/more/science-and-research/surface-transmission.html|access-date=12 April 2021|website=U.S. [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]] (CDC) }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:cite news|| vauthors = Anthes E |date=8 April 2021|title=Has the Era of Overzealous Cleaning Finally Come to an End?|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/08/health/coronavirus-hygiene-cleaning-surfaces.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211228/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/08/health/coronavirus-hygiene-cleaning-surfaces.html |archive-date=28 December 2021 |url-access=limited|access-date=12 April 2021| url-status=live }}</ref> The CDC recommends that if a COVID‑19 case is suspected or confirmed at a facility such as an office or day care, all areas such as offices, bathrooms, common areas, shared electronic equipment like tablets, touch screens, keyboards, remote controls, and ATMs used by the ill persons should be disinfected.<ref name="sxygw">{{#invoke:Cite web||date=11 February 2020|title=Interim Recommendations for US Community Facilities with Suspected/Confirmed Coronavirus Disease 2019|url=https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/organizations/cleaning-disinfection.html|access-date=4 April 2020|publisher=U.S. [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]] (CDC)}}</ref> Surfaces may be decontaminated with 62–71 per cent [[ethanol]], 50–100 per cent isopropanol, 0.1 per cent [[sodium hypochlorite]], 0.5 per cent hydrogen peroxide, 0.2–7.5 per cent [[povidone-iodine]], or 50–200 ppm [[hypochlorous acid]]. Other solutions, such as [[benzalkonium chloride]] and [[chlorhexidine gluconate]], are less effective. [[Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation]] may also be used,<ref name="CDCasof07092020">{{#invoke:Cite web||date=9 July 2020|title=COVID-19 Employer Information for Office Buildings|url=https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/office-buildings.html|access-date=9 July 2020|website=U.S. [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]] (CDC)|vauthors=((National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD)))}}</ref> although popular devices require {{val|5|-|10|u=min}} exposure and may deteriorate some materials over time.<ref>{{#invoke:cite news ||title=Yes, UV phone sanitizers work. That doesn't mean you need one. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2021/02/16/uv-sanitizer-phone-covid-germs/ |access-date=29 April 2022 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=16 February 2021}}</ref> A datasheet comprising the authorised substances to disinfection in the food industry (including suspension or surface tested, kind of surface, use dilution, disinfectant and inoculum volumes) can be seen in the supplementary material of.<ref name="disinfection-foodindus">{{#invoke:cite journal || vauthors = Pedreira A, Taşkın Y, García MR | title = A Critical Review of Disinfection Processes to Control SARS-CoV-2 Transmission in the Food Industry | journal = Foods | volume = 10 | issue = 2 | page = 283 | date = January 2021 | pmid = 33572531 | pmc = 7911259 | doi = 10.3390/foods10020283 | s2cid = 231900820 | doi-access = free | title-link = doi }}</ref>

=== Self-isolation ===
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[[Self-isolation]] at home has been recommended for those diagnosed with COVID‑19 and those who suspect they have been infected. Health agencies have issued detailed instructions for proper self-isolation.<ref name="pmid33012884">{{#invoke:cite journal||vauthors=Patiño-Lugo DF, Vélez M, Velásquez Salazar P, Vera-Giraldo CY, Vélez V, Marín IC, Ramírez PA, Quintero SP, Castrillón Martínez E, Pineda Higuita DA, Henandez G|date=June 2020|title=Non-pharmaceutical interventions for containment, mitigation and suppression of COVID-19 infection|journal=Colombia Medica|volume=51|issue=2|pages=e4266|doi=10.25100/cm.v51i2.4266|pmc=7518730 |pmid=33012884}}</ref> Many governments have mandated or recommended self-quarantine for entire populations. The strongest self-quarantine instructions have been issued to those in high-risk groups.<ref name="lZR3i">{{#invoke:Cite web||title=COVID-19 Informational Resources for High-Risk Groups {{!}} Keeping Education ACTIVE {{!}} Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease|url=https://www.fightchronicdisease.org/resources/covid-19-informational-resources-high-risk-groups|access-date=31 May 2020|website=fightchronicdisease.org}}</ref> Those who may have been exposed to someone with COVID‑19 and those who have recently travelled to a country or region with the widespread transmission have been advised to self-quarantine for 14 days from the time of last possible exposure.<ref>{{#invoke:Cite web||url=https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/if-you-are-sick/quarantine.html |title=Quarantine and Isolation |date=29 July 2021 |publisher=U.S. [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]] (CDC) |access-date=12 August 2021 }}</ref>

=== International travel-related control measures ===
A 2021 Cochrane rapid review found that based upon low-certainty evidence, international travel-related control measures such as restricting cross-border travel may help to contain the spread of COVID‑19.<ref name="Burns-2021">{{#invoke:cite journal || vauthors = Burns J, Movsisyan A, Stratil JM, Biallas RL, Coenen M, Emmert-Fees KM, Geffert K, Hoffmann S, Horstick O, Laxy M, Klinger C, Kratzer S, Litwin T, Norris S, Pfadenhauer LM, von Philipsborn P, Sell K, Stadelmaier J, Verboom B, Voss S, Wabnitz K, Rehfuess E  | title = International travel-related control measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic: a rapid review | journal = The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews | volume = 2021 | pages = CD013717 | date = March 2021 | issue = 3 | pmid = 33763851 | doi = 10.1002/14651858.CD013717.pub2 | pmc = 8406796 | s2cid = 232356197 | collaboration = Cochrane Public Health Group }}</ref> Additionally, symptom/exposure-based screening measures at borders may miss many positive cases.<ref name="Burns-2021" /> While test-based border screening measures may be more effective, it could also miss many positive cases if only conducted upon arrival without follow-up. The review concluded that a minimum 10-day quarantine may be beneficial in preventing the spread of COVID‑19 and may be more effective if combined with an additional control measure like border screening.<ref name="Burns-2021" />