Health experts urge UK to use anti-viral spray used with great effect in UAE – The National

Health experts urge UK to use anti-viral spray used with great effect in UAE – The National

Water-like disinfectant has been central to UAE's disinfection programme





























A lady walks through the disinfection booth at the Palazzo Versace hotel. Chris Whiteoak / The National











Scientists, academics and business leaders are pushing for a cheap, water-like disinfectant spray to be used more widely in Britain to contain the coronavirus outbreak.



The product was shown to be effective in countries including the UAE, China and South Korea.



Hypochlorous acid, or Hoci, is 100 times more effective as a disinfectant than bleach, killing germs and viruses immediately.



The non-hazardous, weak acid has been approved by the World Health Organisation and is harmless to plants and animals. It has a colourless, water-like appearance.





It has been used in the UAE's disinfection programme and has been central to South Korea's lauded strategy for containing the virus since March.



The country has some of the lowest coronavirus figures globally, with only about 14,000 people infected and fewer than 300 deaths.



Front-line workers in South Korea went to drive-through Covid-19 testing stations at the end of their shifts, where they stepped into booths and were showered