Surface cleaning has largely been phased out as a COVID mitigation. This 2015 cross-sectional study found increased surface cleaning in homes was correlated with greater respiratory infections in children.

See my comments for 2 hypothesis: https://oem.bmj.com/content/72/8/602

Hypothesis 1: Exposure to bleach fumes harms lungs and makes children more susceptible to inhaled viruses.

Hypothesis 2: Less exposure to daily pathogens leaves children with less immunity and more susceptible to major exposures.

Hypothesis 3: Families that clean more do so because they are already prone to infections, irrespective of whether surface cleaning helps.

It would be great if there was a randomized trial. It would be ironic if surface cleaning with bleach was actually counterproductive.

End of thread - Thank you for reading.