Schools ramp up cleaning efforts as kids come down with flu, fears over coronavirus spread
SANDY, Utah — Almost a quarter of the students a Lone Peak Elementary School called out sick this week, a spokesperson for the school said.
Mary Hardy, the school’s administrative assistant, takes a lot of those calls from parents.
“We have had cases of influenza and strep going around and just common cough and colds,” she said.
While this is a time of year when kids often stay home sick, Hardy said, this year she’s seen more kids sick than others.
A few years back, following the Norovirus outbreak, the Canyons School District invested in a Protexus — a machine that sprays hospital-grade detergent. While it is used all year round in certain areas, the accident facility manager for Lone Peak Elementary said this time of year it gets a lot more use.
Finding New Ways of Infection Prevention and Control in Senior Living
The health and well-being of residents is always a primary focus for any Senior Living provider and limiting both infections and their spread is an ongoing challenge. In order to find the best solution, it’s important to know how infections start. According to the Centers for Disease Control, infections need three things in order to occur.
First, there has to be a source – think of a sink, toilet or even just human skin.
Secondly, infections require a susceptible person, which could include the young, elderly or those with open wounds or weakened immune systems.
Finally, infections need a means of transmission. This could be direct or indirect contact, inhalation, sprays or splashes.
EarthSafe Introduces Multi-Purpose Cleaner and Disinfectant to Bridge the Gap in Infection Prevention
The EarthSafe mission statement reads, “Designing a future where applying the technologies of tomorrow protects the public health beyond the limits of the tools today.” Simply put—Time is the cleaning industry’s number one limiting factor for successful infection prevention. This challenge has been the driver for all EarthSafe product innovations since day one.
They began by developing the EvaClean Infection Prevention System, which leverages advanced electrostatic sprayer technologies to cover three-times the area in 80% less time, a “drop and go” sanitizing/disinfection chemistry, and simplified, scalable processes for higher-level compliance and maximum output. Still, a critical gap remained in daily cleaning and floor disinfection strategies.
EvaClean Infection Control System
EvaClean is an infection prevention and outbreak solution from EarthSafe Chemical Alternatives. This touchless electrostatic disinfecting and sanitizing system is built around one standardized process and a safer chemistry with two advanced products—Protexus sprayers and PURTABS—that create one infection control system.
“EvaClean’s overarching mission is to stop worst case scenarios before they occur. We’d rather be the vaccine than the antibiotic,” said Jeremiah Gray, co-founder of EarthSafe.
Case Study: Electrostatic Disinfection
Waxie Sanitary Supply Northern California introduces Able Services San Francisco to a transformative disinfection solution by EvaClean™, resulting in enhanced services that are performed faster, safer, more effectively, and with far less labor.
EvaClean is a touchless electrostatic disinfection and sanitizing system built around one standardized process and a safer chemistry with two advanced products—Protexus sprayers and PURTABS electrostatic disinfection. Able Services and Waxie Sanitary Supply discovered this game changing solution.
Solutions: CMMS software and infection prevention
The EvaClean suite of infection prevention products unites advanced technologies with less toxic chemistries and proven processes for a completely integrated system. The Protexus line of Touchless Electrostatic Sprayers are standardized around PurTabs, a Hypochlorous Acid-based sporicidal in effervescent tablet form. The system is backed by proprietary compliance processes including training, procedures, support, and standardized instructions for fool-proof disinfection and sanitization.
As flu season takes a turn for the worse, some schools close in at least 12 states
(CNN)Flu activity increased over the past week, squelching hopes of an early peak and leading at least 12 states to shut down some schools.
There have been as many as 11.4 million flu illnesses, 5.4 million medical visits and 136,000 flu hospitalizations between October 1, 2018 and January 19, 2019, according to the weekly flu report released Friday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
During the week that ended January 19, the CDC reported three additional children had died due to flu-related causes, bringing the total number to 22 for the season. For adults, flu deaths are estimated based on pneumonia and other illnesses related to flu. The proportion of deaths attributed to pneumonia and flu was 7.2%, which is slightly higher than the usual threshold of 7.1% for this time of year, the CDC said, based on data from the National Center for Health Statistics.
Fighting the flu: Device could help stop the spread of germs
BRAINTREE, Mass. - A spike in sick calls involving the flu had an ambulance company looking for a quick cure. Brewster Ambulance teamed up with a company with a unique tool that they say helped them clean their equipment within minutes.
Brewster Ambulance usually responds to sick calls, but recently their staff had a spike of their own.
"Cases of the flu, general chest congestion which was impacting our workforce," said Chris DiBona, BAS.
Keeping our Students and Schools Healthy
School districts are trusting the EvaClean Solution from EarthSafe Chemical Alternatives to stop and keep Norovirus outbreaks from happening.
A New Way To Kill Germs In School
The Watertown City School District has a new way to tackle germs.
Meet Protexus, an electrostatic sprayer designed to kill germs, cold flu virus, e-coli - anything harmful to students and staff.
It's easy to use. Handlers put a chlorinated tablet into the attached water bottle, pull the trigger, and spray.
Schools officials say it's a proactive approach to cleaning, not a replacement for traditional cleaning methods or crews.