Containing Swine flu, from spreading is still in the trial and error stage. Any solution before beingunderstood, needs an understanding of the virus itself. Dr Bhavanishankar, Director-Schevaran Innovation Centre, Mysore, deliberates on the virus and the tested solution through fumigation.
People suffering from swine flu can be contagious one day before they have any symptoms, and as many as seven days after they get sick. Younger children below the age of five and the elderly above 65 years of age were shown to be more vulnerable to infections than others. However, anyone can get infected, some with fatal consequences, depending on individual health status and degree of exposure. This truly calls for vigilance at all circumstances, especially when the virus assumes pandemic proportions in any season of the year.
H1N1 flu symptoms are the same as seasonal flu. They include cough, fever, sore throat, stuffy or runny nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Swine flu is contagious and it spreads in the same way as the seasonal flu. When people who have it, cough or sneeze, they spray tiny drops of the virus into the air. If anyone comes in contact with these drops or touch a surface (such as a doorknob or sink) that an infected person has recently touched, they can catch the flu.
Public congregation places with closed environment such as hospital rooms/halls, cinema theatres, air-condition buses, air-condition railway coaches and aeroplanes are high risk places when there is swine flu break out. Unless the infected people are properly/quickly diagnosed and segregated, the risk of infection spreading persists. Since timely diagnosis and segregation of infected people in public places is a herculean task, the best way to contain the spreading of infection is to sanitize such places with closed environments. Frequent disinfection by fumigation of the closed environments and wiping surfaces which come in contact with infected people will be quite effective in controlling the spread of H1N1, if not complete prevention.
Viroff 753 is a disinfectant formulation developed by Schevaran Laboratories Pvt Ltd, for multipurpose use which has an antimicrobial property against bacteria, fungi and viruses too. Since it has a volatile solvent base which acts against viruses, it is an effective fogging disinfectant apart from an efficient surface disinfectant.
Features
- Fast evaporating disinfectant
- Does not irritate and cause dryness of skin
- Potent hand disinfectant
- Can be used as surface disinfectant
- Can be used as fogging disinfectant in closed atmospheres
- Safe and ready to use formulation
Viroff 753 is a judicially formulated broad spectrum antimicrobial composed of antimicrobial volatile organic solvent with quaternary salt. The organic solvent constituent inactivates vegetative forms of microorganisms including viruses in a relatively shorter period of time. Its mode of action is as a dehydrating agent with coagulating effect on macromolecules such as proteins, polysaccharides and nucleic acids. Its disinfecting effect can be almost instantaneous. Viroff 753 has another constituent, a quaternary salt which acts by destabilization of the cytoplasmic membrane, therefore with a wide range of targets and broad spectrum of germicidal activity. The quat salt will stay on for sustained germicidal activity over a relatively longer period of time.
Both the organic solvent constituent and quat salt are biodegradable and hence more eco-friendly. The product has volatile organic solvent constituent and hence can be used as fumigant. The fumigation with Viroff 753 inactivates the viruses in the air in addition to other microorganisms. Surface disinfection can be achieved by wiping the contaminated surfaces with Viroff 753 which is in ready to use (RTU) form and no dilution with water is required.