During the SARS epidemic, that coronavirus spread through a building via the plumbing system’s drains and caused widespread infection among residents. There is concern that SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, may spread in the same manner.
The drains of a plumbing system are interconnected, meaning toilets, sinks, bathtubs, showers and floor drains are connected, and even connected between different rooms and units within a building. A trap usually prevents aerosolized pathogens, sewer gases, insects and odors from exiting the drain. A dry trap, vent blockage or other plumbing system malfunction may result in failure of the trap to work properly and allow those to migrate out of the drain and into the living space.
Two apparent things that give everybody the impression of “not sanitary” are foul odors and bugs, both of which are often found in floor drains. Bacteria and viruses can also be found in floor drains and while they may not be visible, are hazards to be addressed in the “new normal” after coronavirus.
SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, may be transmitted through plumbing systems
The World Health Organization found that floor drains were a conduit for aerosolized virus to travel between apartment units and contributed to a super-spreading event of SARS-CoV infection in 2003.1
SARS-CoV-2 has been detected in the feces of some patients diagnosed with COVID-19. After a February 2020 investigation into a similar spreading event of this coronavirus between residents living in a Hong Kong high-rise, health officials suspect malfunction of the interconnected plumbing system allowed the coronavirus to spread between apartment units.
According to a study in the journal Lancet Global Health, the interconnectedness of the wastewater plumbing network can facilitate exposure to SARS-CoV-2 within, or even between, buildings.2 This is of particular concern in high-risk transmission settings such as hospitals and healthcare facilities, hotels and multi-family residential operators, cruise lines, schools, high-traffic facilities and commercial businesses such as restaurants.
One thing is for sure. Business and facility operators, and ordinary people, will be looking for ways to improve sanitation and prevent contamination. They will be looking for products that help keep staff, patrons, and themselves safe. Every few weeks, Bar Maid will address challenges after coronavirus, and products to address those challenges.
FLY-BYE Drain Trap Seal can be part of a strategy to reduce exposure risk from COVID-19
Bar Maid’s FLY-BYE Floor Drain Trap Seal is a patented one-way valve that prevents aerosolized pathogens, sewer gases, insects and odors from coming up through the floor drain, while allowing water and solids to drain down.
- For residential and commercial use
- Currently used in thousands of independent and chain restaurants, hotels, hospitals and stadiums
- Makes drains virtually maintenance free, no need to add primers and fresh water
- Installs quickly and easily in minutes
- Does not impede flow rate
- 4 sizes to fit most drains
- Cost effective
- Pesticide-free
- HACCP Certified by HACCP International. The HACCP International certification mark confirms a non-food product’s ability to support the integrity and safety of food as demanded by industry expectations, legislation and GSFI (Global Food Safety Initiative) endorsed standards. Along with other approvals and certifications make the FLY-BYE Floor Drain Trap Seal a great control measure for addressing hazards from floor drains
1World Health Organization. (2003). Consensus document on the epidemiology of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). World Health Organization. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/70863
2Gormley, M., Aspray, T. J., & Kelly, D. A. (2020). COVID-19: mitigating transmission via wastewater plumbing systems. Lancet Global Health. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(20)30112-1