CLEANING & INFECTION CONTROL Stop the Spread


Liam Mynes from Tork manufacturer Essity, looks at ways of reducing the risk of norovirus in care homes and considers how infection control policies should be adapted to make the environment safer.


As 2022 drew to a close it emerged that norovirus cases in the UK were running at 10% higher than the average. According to government figures, the majority of these outbreaks were occurring in care homes.


Norovirus, otherwise known as the winter vomiting bug, is an annual scourge. It is one of the most frequent causes of gastroenteritis outbreaks in care homes where many residents are immune-compromised and vulnerable to illness. And norovirus can be particularly dangerous for the elderly since the vomiting and diarrhoea it causes can lead to severe dehydration - and even death.


The virus can be contracted in a number of ways. A person may be infected by breathing in small norovirus particles from the air, or if they come into contact with a contaminated surface or object. Norovirus can also be ingested from foods that have been contaminated by an infected person who may have failed to wash their hands.


And it can survive outside the body for several days which makes it all too easy to pick up the bug in a publicly-used space, such as a care home.


Sufferers should ideally be isolated from other residents for at least 48 hours, according to NHS recommendations. They should be housed in single rooms until they are symptom- free and they should have access to separate towels - and a separate toilet, too, if this is possible. The home may need to be temporarily closed to admissions and visitors until aſter the outbreak is over.


“Norovirus can lead


to severe dehydration - and even death.”


In order to avoid picking up the virus in the first place, the NHS advises everyone to wash their hands frequently and thoroughly using soap and water, particularly aſter using the toilet and before preparing food.


Handwashing by staff should occur before and aſter care- giving procedures, according to government guidelines. The use of residents’ handwashing facilities is acceptable, but the Department of Health recommends that only liquid soap and paper towels should be used by staff members. And soap and water are both essential since alcohol hand sanitisers are ineffective against the norovirus.


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All soap and hand towel systems in a care home should be easy to use and kind to the frequently-washed hands of staff. For example, Tork Extra Mild Liquid Soap is perfume and colour- free and has been certified as allergy-friendly by ECARF, the European Centre for Allergy Research Foundation.


Tork Xpress Hand Towels are also a good hand-drying option since they are available in an Extra Soſt version which is particularly gentle on the skin.


Deep cleaning will help to eradicate the virus, so regular cleaning is crucial in a care home ̶ particularly aſter an outbreak. All contaminated items such as kitchen utensils, dishes, clothing and bedding should be washed at the hottest possible setting.


Information is key throughout the process. Residents should be reminded to wash their hands regularly, while family members need to be warned not to visit if they are feeling unwell. As for the care home staff, they should be provided with rigorous hand hygiene training and given expert instruction on optimum infection prevention practices.


Essity offers two free training modules for this purpose. Tork Cleaning Training for Long Term Care Homes provides staff with the tools and knowledge they need to carry out cleaning according to the best recommendations, while Tork Clean Hands Training for Long Term Care Homes equips them with the day-to-day skills they need to secure good hand hygiene.


Norovirus outbreaks are difficult to avoid, particularly in vulnerable care home settings. But by keeping staff informed of the dangers involved and by practising impeccable hand hygiene protocols, the risks of contracting and spreading this debilitating illness will be significantly reduced.


www.tork.co.uk/longtermcare www.tomorrowscare.co.uk


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