US EPA approves 2 Lysol products to kill coronavirus on surfaces

The US Environmental Protection Agency has approved two Lysol products as effective against coronavirus when used on hard, non-porous surfaces.

The EPA announced Monday that Lysol Disinfectant Spray and Lysol Disinfectant Max Cover Mist meet the agency's criteria for use against coronavirus based on laboratory testing that found both products kill the virus two minutes after contact., reports the CNN.

In a statement, the EPA explained that before companies can legally claim its products work against a certain pathogen, the agency must first authorize it based on a review of data. 

Guidance issued in January in response to the outbreak allowed manufacturers to provide the EPA with data that shows a product's effectiveness against coronavirus. Based on this guidance and the agency's review of products, the EPA hast a list of more than 420 products that meet the agency's criteria for use against the virus, including several Lysol products.

Lysol said in a statement it is currently working on testing the efficacy of other disinfectant products against Covid-19.

"In the face of the pandemic, Lysol continues to work with a wide range of scientific and health experts to educate the public on the importance of hygiene," said Rahul Kadyan, executive vice president of Reckitt Benckiser in North America, Lysol's parent company.