On the news I see images from Europe of crews using trucks with pumps to spray the streets clean, in an effort to fight COVID 19. I haven’t seen this in the United States.
Is there any evidence that this is helpful? Preventing the virus from going from the sidewalk to your shoe to a hand to your face maybe?
From what I’ve read, it really shouldn’t make much difference. There’s not 0 risk of cross contamination, but it’s pretty unlikely, more so if people wash their hands frequently as per guidelines. Also, a lot of people remove their shoes after getting home. Doing that and regular washing puts risk down pretty low for contamination from your shoes. Shouldn’t hurt to do it, though.
Some links lending credence to the idea that shoe contamination is not a major risk:
What are they spraying, bleach? Viability of viruses on surfaces are low to minimal and I don’t think people are licking streets or snorting something directly off it. I’d be more worried about the effect on the environment and maybe wild animals or pets ingesting bleach covered food or water.