One more concern is the immeasurable effect of the large scale use of disinfectants and sanitisers in the covid-19 pandemic on the microbiomes of various ecological niches in humans, animals, and environments. Dysbiosis in host-commensal interactions is a likely outcome of such practices, thereby affecting the host’s immune functioning, metabolism, physiological parameters, and susceptibility to infectious and non-infectious diseases.4
Probiotics, immunobiotics, synbiotics, and so on are promising correctives for dysbiosis.5
But the problems caused by excessive use of disinfectants and sanitisers globally extend beyond dysbiosis—for example, emergence of alcohol resistance in Enterococcus faecium, a nosocomial pathogen, and its vancomycin resistant strains (as superbugs) has recently been reported.6
The dilemma is that by using disinfectants, sanitisers, and antibiotics for containment of covid-19, we are causing immeasurable collateral damage to microbiomes, “wiping” several commensals in various niches and possibly creating “mines” for newer threats.