#stayhealthy

On surfaces: ready, set, go!

When people talk about preventing infection they usually have hand disinfection in mind. And as explained in the hand hygiene section, this is indeed one of the most effective hygiene measures. However, surfaces are the “hands” of a company.

Door handles, light switches, keyboards & the computer mouse (especially with shared desks), coffee machines and printers – they all are in direct contact with employees who may have just sneezed into their hands, or who have come straight from the metro or toilet, and are therefore hot spots for bacteria and viruses.

Even seemingly clean surfaces can be contaminated. If pathogens are passed on to the nose, mouth or eyes via the hands, employees can sometimes fall ill very quickly, depending on the germ involved.

Pathogens can survive on surfaces for some time – sometimes even months.¹ Indirect contact infection via surfaces plays a secondary role in the transmission of diseases such as influenza or COVID-19, compared to airborne infection. Nevertheless, this route should also be reliably closed off in order to actually prevent any spreading.

Highly effective against pathogens and gentle to the surface:

mikrozid® sensitive and mikrozid® universal

BREAKING CHAINS OF INFECTION - EVEN IF PATHOGENS COME BY INDIRECT ROUTES

Diarrhea-type diseases are mainly transmitted by contact or indirect contact infection. The pathogens, mostly noro and rota viruses, can also be picked up via toilet seats or other commonly used areas such as coffee kitchens or the canteen.

To prevent these indirect contact infections reliably, it is essential to disinfect surfaces regularly. mikrozid^® sensitive and mikrozid® universal are particularly gentle on surfaces and equipment – including touchscreens, smartphones and tablets. Fast and widely effective (against E. coli, salmonella, rota, influenza and corona virus) within 1 oder 2 minutes, respectively

Study 1:

BIOTOPES IN THE OFFICE

One study where a potential spread of viruses through the workplace was simulated using viruses harmless to humans (MS2 phages) demonstrated the sources of risk: The refrigerator, drawer handles, water taps in the break room, the handle bar for opening the door at the main exit and the soap dispenser in the ladies’ toilet were the most contaminated areas.²

Study 2:

HOW SMALL CHILDREN AFFECT CAR DEALERSHIPS

Another study reports a noro virus outbreak among employees at a car dealership. Twelve of the 16 employees fell ill with this severe gastrointestinal infection following a joint meeting. Initially, a sandwich machine was suspected to be the source of the infection. However, several employees then reported seeing a toddler with diarrhea in the toilets at the car dealership shortly before lunch. And indeed, the same strain of the virus that knocked out the staff was identified in the child – as well as in the baby changing facilities at the car dealership. Contrary to what might be thought at first glance, this sudden outbreak of gastrointestinal disease was therefore not due to food, but to the environment.³

1 Otter JA, Donskey C, Yezli S, Douthwaite S, Goldenberg SD, Weber DJ. Transmission of SARS and MERS coronaviruses and influenza virus in healthcare settings: the possible role of dry surface contamination. J Hosp Infect. 2016;92(3):235-250. doi:10.1016/j.jhin.2015.08.027. | 2 Kurgat EK et al. (2019) Impact of a Hygiene Intervention on Virus Spread in an Office Building. Int J Hyg Environ Health 222(3):479-485. doi: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2019.01.001 | 3 Repp KK et al. (2013) A norovirus outbreak related to contaminated surfaces. J Infect Dis. 2013;208(2):295-298. doi:10.1093/infdis/jit148.