A narrative review on disinfection tunnel for Covid-19: a friend or foe?

Abstract

The use of a disinfection tunnel has become increasingly popular to eliminate the Covid-19 on the body particularly during the pandemic, however insufficient attention paid to its effectiveness and safety. We undertake a narrative review on the disinfection tunnel and evaluate their effectiveness and safety. The keyword searches of Medline, EMBASE, PubMed, EBM reviews database and manual searches of Google Scholar and US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) was used. An analysis of the papers reviewed were categorized into three main themes: technical design of disinfection tunnel; effectiveness of disinfectant used; and safety or harmful effect. To date, no relevant specific scientific studies or evidence retrieved about disinfection tunnel for public usage including effectiveness and safety. We found a various designs of disinfection in the market today. It mainly originated from an innovative idea to assist in limiting the spread of Covid-19. However, current available evidence does not support its effectiveness and safety. Although it may lead to a false sense of security, this potential approach appears attractive thus creates an opportunity for further research.