Here’s an interesting thought – coronavirus and your clothing.

Admission: I love clothing. I’ve been purchasing second-hand or ethically sourced (or trying to) since the Rana Plaza collapse in 2013. And, I will admit with some sheepishness, the fabrics I go for have slowly migrated to more luxurious ones and just buying fewer pieces in a year. As a Canadian in a colder part of the country (so basically everywhere but some parts of BC), I’ve taken a great shine to cashmere. Silk has made its way into my summer wardrobe. Given the price point of these items, it’s led to further decreased frequency of purchasing, which has actually been quite nice.

Except…hello coronavirus.

Coronavirus and Cloth

A recent publication in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that SARS-CoV-2 was detectable up to four hours on copper, up to 24 hours on cardboard and up to 72 hours on plastic and stainless steel. As of March 20, 2020, at the time that this post was written, we do not yet know how long coronavirus can live on cloth fibres.

Combining suggestions from NHS and CDC and definitely not peer-reviewed but possibly the best we’ve got presentations (slide 7) and articles, here is what I got:

• Avoid shaking clothing as you handle clothing articles
• Normal washing of clothes at highest temperature with regular detergent should decrease risk of transmission
• For higher risk items (e.g. soiled with blood, stool, or bodily fluids), wash at 60 degrees Celsius with a bleach-based product. *N.B. NHS considers healthcare workers uniforms as high risk
• Wash your hands after handling unwashed clothing

Wardrobe Rehab

I will personally attempt to wear only clothing that can be washed and then tumbled dry on high heat. Those fabrics include:

• Polyester
• Nylon
• Spandex
• Acrylic
• Acetate
• Cotton (if preshrunk)

(Please check your clothing labels carefully, though, and decide if you want to risk potentially “ruining” a particular item by washing it in a new way).

Cashmere, silk, and linen – farewell for now.

Scrubs

Alternatively, if in a hospital-based setting and scrub supplies are at a reasonable level in hospital, one could consider changing into scrubs before going about your clinical duties. There’s still the change room to be concerned but about, but this would decrease amount of exposure to regular clothes at least.

And, just going to take a moment here and thank the environmental and laundry staff who work in hospital. Your work has always been essential, and like many essential workers in the world, not sure if you always get the appreciation you deserve. Thank you!

Alright everyone, stay safe!

-Dr. FIREfly