[RegulatorCountry]

I read the product description for the kit and did not see anything about killing a virus, just bacteria. Does it make sense to use it for an ebola outbreak? If it does, then I’m thinking that this is what she was talking about.

[CynicalBear]

Clorox kills virus yes. That’s what they are using to clean up after Ebola contamination.

[SvenMagnussen]

Formaldehyde

Overview. Formaldehyde is used as a disinfectant and sterilant in both its liquid and gaseous states. Formaldehyde is sold and used principally as a water-based solution called formalin, which is 37% formaldehyde by weight. The aqueous solution is a bactericide, tuberculocide, fungicide, virucide and sporicide 72. OSHA indicated that formaldehyde should be handled in the workplace as a potential carcinogen and set an employee exposure standard for formaldehyde that limits an 8-hour time-weighted average exposure concentration of 0.75 ppm. Ingestion of formaldehyde can be fatal, and long-term exposure to low levels in the air or on the skin can cause asthma-like respiratory problems and skin irritation, such as dermatitis and itching.

Mode of Action. Formaldehyde inactivates microorganisms by alkylating the amino and sulfhydral groups of proteins and ring nitrogen atoms of purine bases.

Microbicidal Activity. Varying concentrations of aqueous formaldehyde solutions destroy a wide range of microorganisms. Inactivation of poliovirus in 10 minutes required an 8% concentration of formalin, but all other viruses tested were inactivated with 2% formalin. Four percent formaldehyde is a tuberculocidal agent, inactivating tuberculosis in 2 minutes. The sporicidal action of formaldehyde was slower than that of glutaraldehyde in comparative tests with 4% aqueous formaldehyde and 2% glutaraldehyde against the spores of B. anthracis.

Uses. Although formaldehyde-alcohol is a chemical sterilant and formaldehyde is a high-level disinfectant, the health-care uses of formaldehyde are limited by its irritating fumes and its pungent odor even at very low levels (<1 ppm). It is suspected human carcinogen linked to nasal cancer and lung cancer.

Guideline for Disinfection and Sterilization in Healthcare Facilities, 2008

http://www.cdc.gov/hicpac/pdf/guidelines/Disinfection_Nov_2008.pdf