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WASHINGTON (October 21, 2020) —The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has now approved more than 500 surface disinfectant products for use against SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. This is an important milestone for ensuring American businesses, families, schools, and other organizations have as many tools as possible to disinfect surfaces and protect themselves and their families against the novel coronavirus.

“Since the beginning of this coronavirus pandemic, the Trump Administration has worked to ensure that Americans have access to safe and effective surface disinfectant products to use against the novel coronavirus,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “With more than 500 products now on our list of disinfectants, Americans have a wide range of options to choose from to help protect themselves and their families from COVID-19.”

In early March, EPA released its initial List N: Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2. This list began with 85 products and continues to be updated on a weekly basis. The list is searchable and sortable, comes with helpful tips on how to use disinfectants properly, and features frequently asked questions  to ensure correct product usage. EPA’s List N has received more than 20 million views and remains a valuable resource for the public.

The more than 500 wipes, sprays and other products on List N are expected to be effective against SARS-CoV-2 because they demonstrate efficacy against:

When using an EPA-registered disinfectant, it is important to follow the label directions for safe, effective use. These directions include, but are not limited to:

If an EPA-registered disinfectant from List N is not available, diluted household bleach can be used to disinfect surfaces. Users should closely follow the bleach dilution directions on the CDC's website, including precautions.

Please note that according to the CDC, while “it may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes,” the virus is thought to spread mainly through close contact between individuals.

Background

Since the U.S. Department of Health Services declared the coronavirus a public health emergency in January 2020, EPA has aggressively worked to ensure that Americans are aware of and have access to effective surface disinfectant products to use against SARS-CoV-2. These actions include: