Could my shoes be spreading the coronavirus?

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the likelihood of Covid-19 being spread on shoes and infecting someone is low.

A 2020 study in Wuhan, China found that healthcare workers' shoes were possible carriers of the virus after touching an infected floor.

Half of the samples taken from the soles of the shoes tested positive and may have led to the virus being detected in another area.

"We recommend that people disinfect shoe soles before walking out of wards containing Covid-19 patients," it said.

It is worth noting that the study was not done on environments outside the hospital and did not detail how much of the virus was carried.

There has been no mainstream study on whether everyday shoes could carry the virus from infected surfaces (such as when an infected person sneezes, expelling droplets onto the floor) home.

Pulmonologist Dr Joseph Khabbaza from the Cleveland Clinic said infections from contaminated shoes are unlikely.

"If coronavirus droplets are on the bottom of your shoes, even if they are viable, they would only be able to cause an infection if you were to touch that surface directly and then touch your face," he said

The WHO advises those who have small children who crawl or play on the floor to leave their shoes at the door as a safety precaution.

"This will help prevent contact with dirt or waste that could be carried on the soles of shoes," it says.

It has been advised by experts to wash or sanitise any object that falls on the floor in your home before using.