Quats are indeed effective against … adenoviruses, enteroviruses, rotavirus, norovirus, influenza virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), rhinovirus, chlamydia, HIV, herpes simplex and hepatitis A and B virus.
- PharmaFocusAsia.com Quaternary ammonium compounds (Quats) against Viruses (Chantale Julien, Global Product Manager, Novo Nordisk Pharmatech A/S)
This article is correct, but the list of pathogens (germs) named are both enveloped and non-enveloped viruses. Enveloped viruses include influenza, SARS-CoV, chlamydia, HIV, herpes simplex, hepatitis B. Non-enveloped viruses are much harder to kill. These include adenoviruses, enteroviruses, rotavirus, norovirus, rhinovirus, and hepatitis A. There are many quat-based formulations available to deal with both types of viruses, including norovirus and polio. Read the labels to see if the product is registered to kill a specific pathogen of concern. Not all products kill all pathogens. Proper application procedures are also crucial for successful eradication of pathogens.