Is it just me or is the flu inescapable this year? I tend to take for granted that my kids manage to stay well when their peers are getting sick left and right. That’s why I was so taken aback a few weeks before Christmas when I started to feel crummy. I chalked it up to working too hard, told my family I was coming down with a cold, pivoted an in-person meeting to virtual. But then it dawned on me. Flu A was going around at school. I knew this! (And yet I hadn’t connected the dots when I casually mentioned to my spouse that I had chills and my joints were sore. Duh!) So I took a test. Sure enough, Flu A. So much for soldiering through – show me the couch and pass the remote.
Illness can run rampant through any facility – shared office buildings, medical facilities, industrial complexes, higher education facilities, financial institutions. And though often the topic of conversation this time of year, such illnesses as Covid-19, the common cold, RSV, and other respiratory viruses can spread year-round.
Of particular concern this year (enough to make national news) is the sudden rise in Norovirus cases.
Norovirus is similar to the typical stomach bug in terms of symptoms – stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea. What sets it apart is how quickly it spreads. Norovirus is highly contagious and there are currently no antivirals available to treat this illness. The only option is to ride it out (literally and figuratively). Another reason this disease is on the rise? Hand sanitizer is not enough to kill it. Per the CDC, only 20 seconds of hand washing with soap will rid your fingers of this filth. Time to get familiar with singing “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” over the bathroom sink!
The CDC also reports that this new strain of norovirus was positive in 7 out of 10 cases, likely contributing to the highest outbreak they’ve seen in 12 years. Experts are projecting that the worst is yet to come. This could spell significant impact to sectors far beyond educational facilities. We’re talking moms, dads, grandparents, coworkers… no one is immune when a new virus is on the rise.
Daily and mid-day professional janitorial cleaning is going to be your best defense. Day porter services ensures that high-touch surfaces such as door handles, hand rails, elevator buttons, reception areas, and other shared spaces such as restrooms and break rooms, are sanitized throughout the day. After hours deep cleaning by the Sonlight Cleaning Services team ensures that every one of these high-touch surfaces is also disinfected. (If you remember from previous articles, the difference between sanitizing and disinfecting, especially during an outbreak, are of significant importance.)
If you want to do everything in your power to avoid a full-blown shutdown due to team members calling in sick, now is the time consider upgrading your Janitorial Service provider and give the Sonlight Cleaning Services team a call. We’re established professionals serving the greater Dallas Fort Worth area. We’ve been in service for over 30 years. Nothing we haven’t seen and nothing we can’t help our clients tackle (even a dreaded norovirus outbreak)! We’re in this together and together we’ll get through it.
By Laura Pulliam
