The coronavirus epidemic has introduced new regulations to the usual way of life and changed the attitude towards many essential things. One of them is the maintenance of personal hygiene and cleanliness of the surrounding space. It is undoubtedly a vital aspect affecting all areas of life, and hardly anyone can disagree with this. However, the epidemic has significantly changed the general attitude of people towards cleanliness, which can have unforeseen consequences in both environmental, sociological, and economic aspects. In the article, Kara Miller provides historical evidence and personal observations on the fact that the global cleanliness “epidemic” that is caused by Covid-19 can potentially have rather unfavorable effects.
During the first wave of the virus, people did not know all the patterns of the disease spread and reasonably believed that the only way out was the ultimate space disinfection. At the moment, scientists have already proven the high virus contagiousness in the air, but people continue to focus primarily on surfaces (Miller, 2021). They use a wide variety of wet wipes, disinfectants, and harsh cleaning agents that can be even detrimental to health and cause allergies when used in excess. The chemicals are not only an additional financial spent for any business but a certain risk to employees’ health. Especially these outcomes are felt with the frequent use of chlorine in a small and closed space like a bathroom. It increases the risk of coughing, shortness of breath, and even an asthma attack. In addition, used wipes, masks, and packages make an additional source of garbage, which requires extensive financial investment and time to be recycled. At this point, the amount of waste and the frequent use of harsh chemicals still demonstrates an unresolved issue.
Numerous studies also point to the negative effects of cleaning too frequently and aggressively. In the article, Kara Miller often cites Professor Dunn’s comments as reasonable argumentation of why this approach is harmful. The professor states that “what we think of as cleaning is often questionable” (Miller, 2021). Widespread promotions for cleaning products that kill 99% of germs are particularly intimidating in matters of science and natural selection. Disinfectants continue to affect the environment for a long period, and in this case, cleanliness becomes a rather controversial concept. The visual cleanliness of surfaces does not always correspond to the actual one and vice versa. Some of the chemicals are milder and act selectively, but some products are capable of eradicating even harmless living things. However, nature does not leave a void, and neutralized microorganisms can be replaced by other, more aggressive, and pathogenic species. More resistant pathogens will require even stronger products and some innovative combination of chemical and physical disinfection methods (Miller, 2021). It creates a vicious circle that is difficult to break and increasingly affects a person’s health.
The consequences of this phenomenon of cleanliness are quite predictable and alarming. The human body should be surrounded by particular types of microorganisms to develop the immune system and function normally. Excessive disinfection and intentional collapse of microflora will only lead to subsequent health concerns and frailty to further disease-causing pathogens. In this case, people need to take a wiser approach and use more environmentally friendly ways to maintain personal hygiene and the environment. It should be marked at all levels, including the corporate level, where the health of workers is often overlooked. This practice may require additional financial investments, but it is essential for the further normal functioning of the entire enterprise. In addition, it is necessary to solve the problem of disposing of excess waste in the form of packs of disinfectants, wet wipes, and so on. Since the pandemic has lasted for several years, these concerns should already be met with sufficient and practical methods.
Reference
Miller, Kara. (2021). Has COVID made us too clean? The Boston Globe. Web.