Making the Best of Your Closure

As Coronavirus spreads through the country, and state and local governments mandate the closure of non-essential businesses, Facility Directors have an opportunity to evaluate protocols and thoroughly decontaminate their facilities.  Strategic infection prevention and mitigation plan are imperative going forward for every facility to ensure the safety of its staff and customers.

Before Disinfection for Coronavirus, Consider these Questions:

1. What is your plan in place: Are there ways to strengthen your procedures?
2. Was there a COVID-19-positive case in your facility prior to closure?
3. Who is going to service your facility: a service or in-house employee?
4.  If in-house, are your Environmental Services (ES) staff trained and ready for the extraordinary precautions required for potential COVID-19?

“No cleaning protocol is perfect,” said Benjamin Lopman, an associate professor of epidemiology at Emory University in Atlanta. But combining cleaning with other public health initiatives, such as social distancing, “will act in concert hopefully in reducing the transmission of the coronavirus,…”

During Disinfection, Remember To:

1. Take the opportunity to decrease clutter
2. Clean first in order to remove any dirt or debris (biofilm) from the surface.
3. Prioritize high-touch areas such as keyboards, light switches, doorknobs, desktops, drawer pulls, light fixtures, and entries to each room.
4. Employ a disinfectant after cleaning: Disinfectants kill germs on a surface.
5. Read the directions on disinfectant products for information about how long it needs to be in contact with germs in order to work effectively. If those instructions list a time range, you should use the longest contact time specified on the product label. Educate ES staff on how to protect themselves as they work to clean and decontaminate the facility.
6. Ensure PPE is used if there is was a case, or suspected case, of COVID-19 in the facility.
7. Prioritize the disinfection of bathrooms, as there is a potential fecal spread of the virus.
8. Don’t forget to disinfect the transportation vehicles your company uses too!

“The virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is stable for several hours to days in aerosols and on surfaces, according to a new study from National Institutes of Health, CDC, UCLA and Princeton University scientists in The New England Journal of Medicine. The scientists found that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was detectable in aerosols for up to three hours.

After Disinfection & When Re-Opening After Outbreak:

1. Inform returning occupants of the efforts you’ve undergone to reassure staff and customers.
2. Encourage increased hygiene by posting notices for staff and customers.

The Best Way To Deal With Disease Is To Prevent It

Consider the Patented, EPA Registered CURIS Decontamination System offering a No-Touch, Whole-Room, delivery system of 7% Hydrogen Peroxide Fog.  No-Touch means no contact with harmful chemicals.
CURIS employs products that will ensure efficacy for multiple organisms, not just one, but also the next harder-to-kill germ.