search.noResults

search.searching

saml.title
dataCollection.invalidEmail
note.createNoteMessage

search.noResults

search.searching

orderForm.title

orderForm.productCode
orderForm.description
orderForm.quantity
orderForm.itemPrice
orderForm.price
orderForm.totalPrice
orderForm.deliveryDetails.billingAddress
orderForm.deliveryDetails.deliveryAddress
orderForm.noItems
HEALTHCARE CLEANING


Optimal disinfection choices at this challenging time


Dr Tim Sandle, a chartered biologist with a first-class honours degree in Applied Biology and a Masters degree in education, who obtained his doctorate from Keele University, and is an honorary tutor with the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Manchester, discusses some of the key considerations when choosing from the plethora of different cleaning and disinfection products available for use in hospitals and other healthcare facilities.


The respiratory disease, COVID-19, is having a significant global impact, with infection numbers and mortality rates increasing by the day. On 11 March 2020 the World Health Organization declared that COVID-19 had become a pandemic. Investigations are ongoing to try to learn more about this new coronavirus, and clinical trials have commenced in relation to both improved detection tests and with developing vaccines. News reports across multiple platforms, particularly social media, often appear to give conflicting opinions.


What is unquestionable is the vital role played by taking robust infection prevention and control measures in healthcare facilities. However, with so many cleaning and disinfection products to choose from, and with limited time for research, this article aims to give an overview for anyone involved in health estates and facilities management of the key considerations when selecting the optimum cleaning products.


A ‘sister’ of the SARS virus COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease 2019) is the disease caused by the virus known as SARS-CoV-2, which stands for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2, a so-termed ‘sister’ of the SARS virus that made the headlines in 2003. The virus was identified as the cause of an outbreak of pneumonia of unknown cause associated with Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, in December 2019. Most of the patients in the outbreak reported a link to a live animal and seafood market – Huanan South China Seafood Market. (WHO, 2020). The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that a novel coronavirus had been detected in samples from these patients, suggesting that the virus made the jump from animals (probably bats via pangolins) to humans. Testing had ruled out known respiratory diseases including Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS)-CoV, influenza, and


50 Health Estate Journal May 2020


COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease 2019) is the disease caused by the virus known as SARS-CoV-2, which stands for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2, a so-termed ‘sister’ of the SARS virus that made the headlines in 2003.


avian flu, showing that this was, indeed, a novel coronavirus. The World Health Organization first declared it ‘a public health emergency of international concern’ on 30 January 2020.


Name derived from the club-shaped spikes


The virus causing COVID-19 belongs to the coronavirus family of viruses which cause the common cold and ‘flu’, as well as more severe diseases, including MERS and SARS (‘corona’ derives from the club- shaped spikes that project from the surface of the virus). Most people with COVID-19 experience mild to moderate respiratory illness, and recover without requiring special treatment. Older people, and those with underlying medical problems like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and


cancer, are, however, more likely to develop serious illness.


The current understanding of the transmission mechanism for the virus causing COVID-19 is by close contact with infected secretions. This occurs mainly through respiratory droplets generated by coughing and sneezing. A second vector is through contact with contaminated surfaces.


Viruses can survive on environmental surfaces for an extended period, and transmission via an individual touching a contaminated surface has been shown to be possible, based on the understanding of other highly transmissible respiratory diseases, such as influenza.1


This means


that the risk of contracting coronavirus and becoming infected through touching contaminated surfaces is high. A recent report on the persistence of various


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72