NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — New data released by the Centers for Disease Control this week shows that cleaning surfaces as vigorously as we have been this pandemic might not be as useful as first thought.
That research explains that COVID-19 transmission from surfaces isn't as likely as we first thought it was at the start of the pandemic.
"Seeing the CDC report validated some of the early conversations," Phil Forrester, owner of Rock City Complete Fitness in North Little Rock, said. "The studies were showing that it's really unlikely that it's going to be transferred on a surface."
Forrester has been cleaning as often as possible throughout the pandemic, mainly because of those first reports of surface transmission.
"So that took anywhere from five to 10 minutes per class," he said.
Now he says he'll still clean, but less often.
"That change allowed us to be more efficient, and allow our class times to move along better," Forrester said.
That doesn't mean all cleaning should stop, obviously.
"I can tell you there are plenty of other viruses out there that would have been spread had we not," Dr. Jennifer Dillaha, Arkansas's Epidemiologist, said.
Dr. Dillaha says the extra cleaning wasn't wrong, but a sign of the times.
"You go with the best information at the time, and that was our best information at the time," she said.
Although it was extra time and money invested in the business, Dr. Dillaha says this was the right choice.
"This year has taught us that when you do these things, these other viruses don't spread also," she said.
And for Forrester, he says he doesn't regret any part of it.
"Absolutely, to give our members the confidence and the assurance to be able to walk through the doors and maintain their health and fitness," he said. "Without having to worry, knowing that everyone was cooperating and everybody was doing the same stuff, was absolutely worth it."