Coronavirus can spread through the soles of your shoes, According to the CDC

Medical workers on the front lines of the corona virus should be sure to clean their shoes.

In a new study published in one of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s journals, Emerging Infectious Diseases, researchers tested air and surface samples at a hospital in Wuhan, China, where the corona virus outbreak initiated.

The research published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveals that the wide-spreading coronavirus (COVID-19) can travel 13 feet through the air and be carried around on people’s shoes.

This comes after researchers analyzed medical workers in a hospital in Wuhan, China. The study team tested air and surface samples at Huoshenshan Hospital in Wuhan, China, to detect the distribution of the coronavirus that causes the disease known as COVID-19. Further, the report showed that there was a 100% positive rate from the floor of the pharmacy, where only health-care workers traveled, not infected patients.

“Therefore, the soles of medical staff shoes might function as carriers,” the researchers wrote. “We highly recommend that persons disinfect shoe soles before walking out of wards containing COVID-19 patients.” the researchers wrote.

Most shoe soles feature non-porous materials, such as rubber, leather and PVC compounds, and can carry high levels of bacteria, according to a study published by Charles Gerba, a microbiologist, and professor at the University of Arizona.
 While machine washing can damage shoes made of leather or other man-made materials, shoes made of those materials can be cleaned using basic dish or hand soap and water. Notably, washing leather may alter its texture and/or appearance, so you should test a small area inside the shoe or under the tongue before cleaning. To disinfect your shoes, you should make a mixture of 70% alcohol and water, the CDC advises.

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