Last week, it has been reported that cleaning product sales have "soared" in the past weeks in the wake of the Ebola scare in the U.S.
"Lysol's Facebook page is currently overrun by people asking if its products will help them fight the deadly, incurable virus," Bloomberg Businessweek reported. Many have been asking whether the product can work on Ebola and kill the deadly virus.
So, how did the disinfectant maker answer those questions? Can Lysol's promise of killing "99% of all germs" apply to Ebola?
According to CNN, Lysol, through its site, said that its products "are approved by the Environmental Protection Agency to be used 'to help prevent the spread of the Ebola virus' in hospitals."
"The CDC has not issued an official Ebola warning to the general public, so the standard for effective Ebola-preventing disinfectants exists only for hospitals," the news source added.
That's the same as saying that, no, Lysol doesn't really kill Ebola virus. The products, however, can help sanitize areas and help prevent infection.
"Based on this guidance, products that meet the following criteria are likely to kill the Ebola virus," Lysol stated on its site. "The product meets the CDC criteria for disinfectant products with label claims for a non-enveloped virus; the product is intended for use on hard, non-porous surfaces; and, the product label use instructions for the non-enveloped virus or viruses should be followed."
"Lysol products have not specifically been tested against the Ebola virus but the products here meet the criteria established by the CDC and EPA," the company said in conclusion.
Meanwhile, the Science Life site of the University of Chicago's Medicine & Biological Sciences featured an interview with Emily Landon, MD, who said that Ebola is "one of the easiest to kill of all pathogens."
"If you spray it with rubbing alcohol or a regular disinfectant like Lysol, it will die. Sufficient sunlight will kill it. So that's the good news," the hospital epidemiologist said.
Based on this statement, Lysol appears to be a worthy investment for those concerned about the spread of the virus.
The company has since clarified that it is not overstating its claims regarding Ebola prevention.
"We don't ever claim as fact that if you have good disinfectants, that will protect you from Ebola," said Patty O'Hayer, spokesperson for Reckitt Benckiser, the parent company of Lysol. She also said that they are directing people to the CDC for inquiries about the potency of Lysol against Ebola to prevent misinformation.
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