From washing our hands extra thoroughly, to frantically re-applying hand sanitiser and spritzing surfaces with Dettol spray, the Coronavirus is the villain that we are all currently battling against, and it seems to be terrifying us all more than terrorist threats or the prospect of another Economic recession. But what really is the Coronavirus , how bad is it and how can we fight it?
Coronaviruses or Cov, are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-Cov) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-Cov).
Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.
Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning that they are transmitted between animals and people. Detailed investigations found that SARS-Cov was transmitted from civet cats to humans and MERS-Cov from dromedary camels to humans.
Several known coronaviruses are circulating in animals that have not yet infected humans.
-What is Covid-19?
Covid-19 is a particular strain of virus that belongs to the Coronavirus family. Until lately, Covid-19 was just generally referred to as “Coronavirus”, as we had such a limited amount of information about the virus available.
The virus shares similar traits with the other coronaviruses but, is more unpredictable and difficult to contain.
Typical symptoms include fever and a cough that may progress to a severe pneumonia causing shortness of breath and breathing difficulties.
Scientists believe that the spread of the new Coronavirus could be inevitable and experts are concerned about the recent rapid surge in the number and size of outbreaks outside of China. Some are even predicting a pandemic.
-What makes Covid-19 so dangerous?
Covid-19 is transmitted more readily between humans than SARS-Cov, though it is less violent.
Computer modelling suggests that on average, each new case has infected 2.5 other people in the early stages of the epidemic. The virus has caused severe respiratory diseases in around 20% of patients and killed 2-3% of infected individuals. Older people, whose immune system have declined with age, and those with underlying health conditions are much more vulnerable than the young. What make this virus scary is that it takes approximately 10 days to show symptoms. This means that an individual could be spreading its symptoms, without even being aware that they are themselves infected.
-How is the virus transmitted?
Respiratory infections are most commonly spread through the air by viral particles in droplets from a cough or sneeze, but contact with objects that have been touched by infected people could also be a potential cause of spreading such infections.
Office spaces, elevators, public toilets, public spaces, public transport, the workplace and even visitors or friends could be potentially spreading the virus, especially if the visitors/friends have recently travelled to/from infected countries.
-What can you do to help?
There are some important measures that we all need to focus on in an effort to help in fighting this potential pandemic.
As highlighted by the NHS and endorses by UK Government, the most important steps are:
- Frequently wash your hands with an alcohol-based rub or warm water and soap.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a flexed elbow or tissue when sneezing or coughing.
- Immediately dispose of any used tissues.
- Avoid close contact with anyone who has a fever or a cough.
- Avoid eating raw or undercooked animal products.
Seek early medical advice if you have a fever, cough, or difficulty breathing and share your travel history with healthcare providers.
-What can BRS do to help and what role does cleaning play?
As a cleaning company this is a call for action. Hospitals, schools, shopping centres, airports, railway stations, modes of transport, banks, care homes, gyms/leisure centres, restaurants and any other locations frequently visited by the public need more than just regular cleaning
To cut costs, deep cleaning is all too often neglected by companies who do the minimum, to tick a box such as having a daily cleaner in for an hour or so to wipe around, empty bins and vacuum the floors. This is maintenance but the problem is, nobody can really maintain somewhere that is not properly clean to begin with. Think about your workplace or home, or a place that you frequently inhabit such as a university classroom or a train, when was the last time the walls were cleaned and sanitised? Or the ceiling? When was the last time upholstery, seats or curtains were steam cleaned/washed? I think that we would all rather not know the answer…
Inspiration can be taken from cities around the world such as Dubai, where a tireless ‘clean-up’ team work the streets throughout the night and clean up the day’s detritus. The city is constantly sparkling, and airports and malls are spotless, with a constant flow of cleaners permanently in sight. Dubai also imposes strong penalties for those who litter and spoil the city’s beauty in any other way. Perhaps we can take Dubai as an example and take more pride in our premises, invest more in cleaning and see it as a way of life, inextricably linked with our general health and wellbeing, as opposed to just something that has to be done every now and again.
In general, a clean and hygienic environment goes hand in hand with a healthy family, workforce or population. Recent studies have even highlighted the links between cleanliness and positive psychology, a healthy state of mind and mental wellbeing. While we all still remain hopeful that the Coronavirus scare will calm down and that things will gradually resume as normal, the current threat of the pandemic should serve as a wake-up call to us all, as too many people are neglecting their cleaning duties and settling for second best where cleaning standards are concerned. The Coronavirus outbreak is an important reminder to us all, of the importance of maintaining cleaning and hygiene standards, especially to those who have a duty of care, such as Employers, Business owners, Health and Education providers and Government institutions.
At BRS our teams of professional cleaners are experienced in carrying out deep cleans which can include professional carpet cleaning, floor scrubbing, high level cleaning, pressure cleaning, steam cleaning, upholstery cleaning, wall cleaning, window cleaning and generally sanitising and disinfecting. Such cleaning services can be undertaken in a variety of environments, ranging from domestic houses to commercial offices and industrial premises, as well as the retail, education and public sectors.
Health and safety is at the forefront of our organisation. Thorough risk assessments are carried out and supplied, prior to the undertaking of a professional deep clean, and COSHH assessments and data sheets supplied for cleaning products used.
BRS exist to provide a clean and safe environment for our clients, our clients’ clients and the general public. An unhealthy, unclean world is not a world we want to be part of, and thus it is our duty as a Deep cleaning services provider, an Employer, parents and as ordinary citizens to play our part in the battle against the Coronavirus… and we are ready to serve!
To find out more check our website: https://www.brscontractors.co.uk/cleaning-services/deep-cleaning/
References
Time To Use The P-Word? Coronavirus Enters Dangerous New Phase (2020) available from <https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-00551-1> [28 February 2020]
How Dangerous Is The Coronavirus And How Does It Spread? (2020) available from <https://www.ft.com/content/ed3fb63e-41ce-11ea-bdb5-169ba7be433d> [28 February 2020]
McCurry, J. (2020) How To Protect Yourself From Coronavirus Infection [online] available from <https://www.theguardian.com/science/2020/jan/27/coronavirus-how-to-protect-yourself-from-infection> [28 February 2020]
Coronavirus (COVID-19): Latest Information And Advice (2020) available from <https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-information-for-the-public> [28 February 2020]
Coronavirus (2020) available from <https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus> [4 March 2020]
