The Coronavirus is still wreaking havoc across the globe with no signs of letting up any time soon. Schools and universities in most parts of the country have been closed or limited to prevent the further spread of the COVID-19 disease. As regulations start to allow facilities to open, it has never been more important to make sure that these buildings are properly decontaminated and clean.
As more serious Coronavirus variants emerge, it has become imperative to maintain the highest levels of hygiene in schools and colleges.
In this post we look at how the Coronavirus spreads in educational institutions, why it’s important to keep your higher education facility clean and properly disinfected, and share a few tips on how to maintain clean and virus-free surfaces in universities.
How Does COVID-19 Spread in Educational Institutions?
Highly populated places such as college campuses have an extremely high potential for spreading the COVID-19 disease. This is because Coronavirus, which causes the COVID-19 disease, is transmitted through direct contact with an infected person’s respiratory droplets.
The virus cannot enter the body through the skin but studies have conclusively shown that an infected person’s respiratory droplets can enter your body through the mouth, nose, and eyes. The infectious droplets are generated by sneezing and coughing.
You can also be infected when you touch surfaces contaminated with the virus then you touch your face for example your eyes, mouth, or nose.
It is still unclear if the virus stays on surfaces for hours or even days depending on the type of surface. Fortunately, simple disinfectants including soap can kill the virus. Routine cleaning and disinfecting surfaces are by far the most effective way of combating the spread of Coronavirus in schools and colleges.
There are also other equally effective measures that can be combined with thorough cleaning and disinfection such as maintaining social distance and wearing masks.
When your institution teams up with a professional cleaning company such as Olympus Building Services, Inc. you are guaranteed a safe environment for your students, faculty, and staff.
The Importance of Cleaning
Nothing can replace proper cleaning in fighting the spread of the Coronavirus in higher education institutions.
Currently, most university and campus administrators are not fully aware or are probably looking for the single most effective product, system, or technology that can completely eliminate the virus from their facilities. However, a single solution is yet to be found.
Some manufacturers have even been promoting the use of misters to spray disinfectants over surfaces to kill the virus but keep in mind that all surfaces must, first of all, be clean before the disinfectant is sprayed on.
Cleaning should always come first. It helps to remove dirt, soil, and other obstacles that would prevent the disinfectant from working effectively.
Maintaining Clean and Sanitized Surfaces at higher education facilities
To prevent the spread of the Coronavirus, higher education institutions should always maintain clean and properly sanitized surfaces in and out of lecture halls and student accommodation areas.
They should pay special attention to daily cleaning and disinfecting of objects and surfaces that are frequently touched, such as doorknobs, desks, countertops, taps, computer keyboards, telephones, hands-on learning items, staircases, and many more.
More importantly, surfaces and objects that are soiled with body fluids should be cleaned immediately. Professional cleaners understand the importance of using gloves and taking standard precautions when cleaning surfaces soiled with blood or other body fluids. Spills should always be cleaned first before the surface is disinfected.
It’s also important to adopt the recommended systems approach to cleaning when fighting the spread of Coronavirus. The approach defines how facilities are cleaned, the procedures used, and the tools and solutions best suited for the job.
A good cleaning system approach should at the very least include the following tools and procedures:
- Use of effective cleaning solutions. The EPL and CDC have yet to provide recommendations on the best cleaning solutions to use but you can always use soap or detergent and water to clean surfaces before disinfection.
- Using the right disinfectants. It’s highly recommended to use green disinfection products recommended by both the EPL and CDC. You can find a list of recommended disinfectants to fight the spread of COVID-19 on the EPA website.
- Pay special attention to high traffic areas and high touch surfaces. These are areas that should be cleaned more frequently every day to avoid contamination and transfer of the virus from infected persons.
- Quick and professional response to Coronavirus exposed surfaces and locations following the guidelines and protocols laid out by the health authorities.
At Olympus Building Services, Inc. we have a professional cleaning and disinfection approach in maintaining higher education facilities clean and free from the COVID-19 disease.
You can always contact us to learn more about our cleaning and disinfection services and procedures for higher learning institutions.