Mass disinfections pose health hazard: experts

A drone dispersed clouds of disinfectant in the sky above Indonesia's second-largest city Surabaya on Tuesday, a response to the coronavirus pandemic which is catching on around the world despite warnings from health experts.

Mass disinfections, often by workers in protective gear resembling characters from the comedy film Ghostbusters, have become a common sight -- from Turkey's Grand Bazaar to bridges in Mexico and migrant workers in India.

But the visually impressive measures taken to contain the fast-spreading virus which has killed over 42,000 people globally, have been criticised by disease specialists as a health hazard as well as a waste of time and resources.

"It's a ridiculous image seen in many countries," said Dale Fisher, an infectious diseases expert in Singapore who chairs the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network coordinated by the World Health Organization.

"I don't believe it adds anything to the response and could be toxic on people. The virus does not survive for long in the environment and people do not generally touch the ground."

A spokesman for Surabaya's mayor said the use of drones for disinfection was necessary in areas with confirmed cases because the virus "can be anywhere".