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Don’t Let Infections Enroll in School This Year
Schools have an endless number of high-touch surfaces, such as desks, doorknobs, lockers,
drinking fountains and athletic equipment. A surface can appear clean to the naked eye, but still
house harmful pathogens. To better fight infections, schools should be aware of infection risks and
the importance of daytime disinfection.
Infection 101
Primary infections that schools should be concerned with include:
• Viral infections – caused by viruses, these are commonly spread through coughing, sneezing
and touching hands or surfaces. Examples commonly found in schools include the common cold
and stomach flu (Norovirus), which easily spread through high-use areas such as classrooms,
cafeterias and gymnasiums.
• Bacterial infections – caused by bacteria, these are spread in the same way as viral infections.
MRSA (skin infection) and Streptococcus (throat infection) are common bacterial infections found
in schools.
• Fungal infections – caused by Fungi, these can live on indoor surfaces and skin, causing
infections such as ringworm and athlete’s foot. Often, students will contract a fungal infection
from dirty gym equipment such as wrestling or workout mats.
Tips for Infection Prevention
To prevent and control infections in classrooms and athletic environments, school facility managers should follow simple tips, including:
1. Select a safe disinfectant with a realistic contact time
Disinfectants require a specific contact time to kill pathogens. Those with shorter contact times ensure greater compliance and allow for quick use during the day. Disinfectants should be tough on pathogens, but gentle on surfaces, users and occupants during and after cleaning and disinfecting. Many facilities are turning to disinfectants powered by AHP® technology, which are fast acting and contain an active ingredient that breaks down into oxygen and water to reduce
environmental impact.
2. Focus on daytime disinfection
When surfaces are dirty, pathogens are more likely to spread during high occupancy, meaning that nighttime disinfection is often too little too late. To maximize the removal of pathogens, cleaning staff and room occupants should disinfect surfaces throughout the day while students are still present. Cleaning staff should also restock soap, toilet paper, paper towels, hand sanitizer and facial tissue to encourage proper hygiene.
3. Make disinfectants easily accessible
Disinfectants should be readily available when and where needed. Schools can improve disinfection programs with pre-wetted wipes for daily use to improve cleaning and disinfecting compliance on high-touch surfaces. Ready-to-use disinfectant wipes should be safe and easy for students and teaching staff to use, whether in a classroom or weight room.
4. Train all staff to clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces
Surfaces within schools may be touched by hundreds of students, staff and visitors each day. Schools should go above and beyond simply wiping cafeteria tables. They should be conscious of frequently touched objects, such as door handles, desks, light switches, lockers and hand railings, but also recognize that germs may lurk on less obvious surfaces such as vending machine buttons, computer keyboards and mice, athletic equipment and drinking fountains.
5. Validate the cleaning process
It’s important to know that proper cleaning and disinfecting is being performed. A program that monitors such processes ensures schools achieve the highest level of clean. Facilities should use mobile and easy-to-use auditing platforms for on-the-go tracking, and to identify cleaning patterns and trends. Timely notification of these patterns and trends can mean the difference between defeating and falling victim to an outbreak.
Maintaining a clean and properly disinfected school is an important step in preventing the spread of illness between students and staff. With the proper products, tools and best practices, schools will be better equipped to kill and remove harmful viruses, bacteria and fungi from classrooms and athletic environments that negatively impact student and staff attendance.
By: Carlyse Fuhrer, Education and Government Sector, Diversey Care
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