Many people have changed their cleaning regimens since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and are disinfecting everything in sight.
However, experts warn that if that routine is kept up, people could do more harm than good in the long run.
That's because over-cleaning could kill too much bacteria, said Johns Hopkins University Professor of environmental health Marsha Wills-Karp.
“We actually need bacteria,” Wills-Karp said. “We live a very symbiotic relationship with bacteria. In fact, we have probably equal numbers of bacteria cells in our body to our own cells.”
Wills-Karp told KCBS Radio that good bacteria strengthens immune systems, particularly in younger individuals. It also helps with digestion and keeps bad bacteria at bay.
So, she said, given that COVID-19 is spread primarily through air transmission – not by touching things – people can relax a bit with all the disinfecting.
“Just like with our tires in our car – if they’re flat, you’re not going to go anywhere and if they’re too full, they’re going to burst,” Wills-Karp noted. “We need some balance, and I think sterilizing everything in our environment is, in the long run, going to be harmful to us.”
Wills-Karp does recommend that everyone continue wearing masks, washing hands and adhering to other safety protocols until the coronavirus is under control.
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