Coronavirus/Norovirus: The Art & Science of Handwashing

Coronavirus has been front-page news around the world. We have updated this blog from its original focus, Norovirus since the techniques listed below are equally applicable limiting its spread. The fact that you can get it from infected people, contaminated surfaces, or food and water, makes it tough to stop.

How to Get Coronavirus?

The exact list of ways to catch Coronovirus might be slightly different but touching your mouth after touching an infected surface is common means of transmission with any virus.

How to Stop the Spread of CoronaVirus/Norovirus?

Here are some simple tips to stop the spread:

1. Avoid preparing food for others for 48 hours after symptoms have stopped
2. Wash your hands carefully and often with soap and water
3. Rinse fruits and vegetables and cook shellfish thoroughly
4. Routinely clean and sanitize kitchen utensils, counters, and surfaces
5. Wash table linens, napkins, and other laundry thoroughly

Following the tips listed above is critical in limiting the spread and making sure everyone stays safe. While healthy people are able to recover on their own, the very young and the elderly may not be so lucky.

Another common place where outbreaks could occur is long-term care facilities. The close living quarters and the nature of these long-term care facilities make them prime areas for serious implications. The outbreak is often started by visitors, patients, or staff who bring it into the facility.

Washing Hands Technique

1. Make sure strict hand hygiene techniques are followed among healthcare personnel, patients, and visitors in patient care areas affected by the outbreak.

2. During outbreaks, use soap and water for hand hygiene after providing care or having contact with patients suspected or confirmed having norovirus

Environmental Cleaning

It is also important to keep the environment clean. Here is a rundown of how to clean and disinfect properly:

1. Perform routine cleaning and disinfection of frequently touched surfaces and high-traffic areas. These areas should include toilets, faucets, railing, telephones, door handles, computer equipment, and all flat surfaces.
2. Increase the frequency of cleaning and disinfection of frequently touched surfaces during outbreaks of norovirus. Clean twice daily; clean & disinfect frequently touched surfaces three times daily.
3. Start cleaning the areas with a lower likelihood of contamination and work your way to ones with highly contaminated surfaces such as toilets etc. Frequently change out materials such as cloths used for cleaning.
4. Silverware and dishware may undergo normal processing and cleaning using standard procedures.

Which Test Strip for Corona/Norovirus?

Health and safety inspectors will generally insist you test your solutions for dilution accuracy. This is because it is possible to make mistakes and it also adds a further check in case your bleach strength isn’t at the most common level of 5.25% or fresh. Use our handy dilution calculator for fast and accurate mixing.

Chlorine-Test-Strips-10000ppm-33815-10K-640x480

10,000 ppm high-level chlorine test strips for the most demanding disinfection requirements. Use especially where organic contaminants (vomit/feces) are involved as these tie u available chlorine.

Use our versatile 0-10,000 (10K) chlorine test strip to confirm your disinfection solutions for Coronavirus/norovirus are at the right concentrations. The color chart has markings for 1000, 2500 & 5000ppm and should work for all the concentrations required.

By following a few key cleanup steps, proper handwashing procedures, and checking that everything is disinfected, keeping Coronavirus/Norovirus under control is possible.