Ship, Planes, Undergoing Thorough Cleanings to Kill Coronavirus

With the news that 11 of the 13 Americans evacuated from a quarantined cruise ship to the University of Nebraska Medical Center tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, infection control specialists are no doubt wondering about disinfection protocols for the ship.

The Diamond Princess has been quarantined in Yokohama Bay near Tokyo since February 5 after more than 600 passengers were found to have COVID-19. However, Princess Cruises officials say the ship will be ready to carry a new set of passengers by April 29, the Daily Mail reports. The ship will be fully sanitized and then taken into dry dock for a period of time. Cruise line officials made the decision to reuse the boat instead of destroying it as it is only halfway through its lifespan and they would like to protect their investment.

Airlines, including Singapore Airlines (SIA), are among the other modes of transportation stepping up on cleaning and disinfection efforts since the emergence of the coronavirus, Channel News Asia reports. In addition to their existing protocols, which include the cleaning of restrooms, vacuuming of carpets and cleaning of high-touch surfaces such as try tables, SIA teams are using disinfectants on in-flight entertainment screens and windows. For flights from mainland China, SIA takes the added step of fogging the cabin with a disinfecting chemical approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Prior to the fogging, cleaning crews remove all blankets and linens for disinfection and a high-temperature washing. Workers then begin another round of cleaning, using disinfectant wipes on restroom and cabin surfaces.

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