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Updated: Nov 29, 2025

Determining Viral Disinfection Efficacy of Hot Water Laundering
Published on: June 21, 2022
Modeling COVID-19 infection risks for a single hand-to-fomite scenario and potential risk reductions offered by
Amanda M Wilson1, Mark H Weir2, Sally F Bloomfield3
1Department of Community, Environment, and Policy, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ; Rocky Mountain Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT; Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT.
Abstract:
We used a quantitative microbial risk assessment approach to relate log10 disinfection reductions of SARS-CoV-2 bioburden to COVID-19 infection risks. Under low viral bioburden, minimal log10 reductions may be needed to reduce infection risks for a single hand-to-fomite touch to levels lower than 1:1,000,000, as a risk comparison point. For higher viral bioburden conditions, log10 reductions of more than 2 may be needed to achieve median infection risks of less than 1:1,000,000.
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