Guidance on Environmental decontamination in the context of COVID-19

Scope: This guidance details basic decontamination principles and procedures that should be followed to decontaminate the physical environment in the context of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Surface contamination and transmission risk all differ by the type of setting and the volume of people that frequent each setting (e.g. healthcare facilities, public transport, and other busy facilities/workplaces), even though the principles of environmental decontamination remain the same.

As we cannot cover every situation here, this guidance can be adapted for individual situations as they arise. This guidance is focused on how to practically implement environmental decontamination and should be delivered as a part of a planned and resourced program, (1) which is integrated fully with other COVID-19 response efforts.

This guidance covers the following elements regarding environmental decontamination:

• Principles of Environmental Decontamination
• Chemicals Used for Environmental Decontamination
• Environmental Decontamination Equipment
• Environmental Decontamination in Healthcare Facilities
• Environmental Hygiene in Non-healthcare Settings
• Linen Management