On March 13, 2020, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released an expanded list of EPA-registered disinfectant products that have qualified for use against SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.  The list contains nearly 200 additional products, including 40 new products that went through EPA’s expedited review process.  While disinfectant products on this list have not been tested specifically against SARS-CoV-2, EPA expects them to be effective against SARS-CoV-2 because they have: (1) demonstrated efficacy against a harder-to-kill virus; (2) qualified for the emerging viral pathogens claim; or (3) demonstrated efficacy against another human coronavirus similar to SARS-CoV-2.

EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler stated: “During this pandemic, it’s important that people can easily find the information they’re looking for when choosing and using a surface disinfectant.  With this expanded list, EPA is making sure Americans have greater access to as many effective and approved surface disinfectant products as possible and that they have the information at their fingertips to use them effectively.”

EPA also made enhancements to the web-based list to make it more user friendly.  Specifically: (1) the product list has been updated to include the product’s active ingredient and the amount of time the surface should remain wet to be effective against the given pathogen; and (2) users may now sort, search, and print the information on the table and easily view it on a mobile device.

List N, EPA’s list of registered disinfectant products is available here.  EPA’s Frequently Asked Questions about List N is available here.