Testing & Disinfecting for Covid-19 - We explore.......

With workplaces across the UK being encouraged to return to business where possible, we wanted to explore the potential offerings out there to support in the risk management of COVID-19.

This article will explore cleaning and surface testing and hopefully raise questions which will help you make informed decisions.

Disinfecting

A prudent point to start with is that, the general consensus out there is that the Coronavirus will remain viable on surfaces for 72 hours, there are many studies ongoing but it is widely accepted that Coronaviruses are particularly resilient and can last outside the body for some time. Unlike Legionella Management, non-use of an area or building for some time, will give some assurance, that until persons enter that premises the risk of surfaces having viable Coronaviruses will be relatively low. This raises questions as to the necessity of disinfecting, for this reason, prior to returning to workplaces?

The World Health Organisation (WHO) State: "People can catch COVID-19 from others who have the virus. The disease spreads primarily from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth, which are expelled when a person with COVID-19 coughs, sneezes, or speaks. These droplets are relatively heavy, do not travel far and quickly sink to the ground. People can catch COVID-19 if they breathe in these droplets from a person infected with the virus. These droplets can land on objects and surfaces around the person such as tables, doorknobs, and handrails. People can become infected by touching these objects or surfaces, then touching their eyes, nose or mouth. This is why it is important to wash your hands regularly with soap and water or clean with alcohol-based hand rub.”

The WHO are assessing ongoing research on the ways that COVID-19 is spread and will continue to share updated findings. All of which can be found on WHO website - https://www.who.int/

Many businesses are now offering disinfection services, most using a fogging process, you’ll note, many of these companies were not in the cleaning or environmental space before this crisis, the cynic would think that they are in it to make a quick buck, but I will let you decide on that!

Fogging is a tried, tested and proven disinfection process, which dependent on the efficacy of the chemical used, will disinfect surfaces which it is sprayed upon. This process should be undertaken after normal cleaning practices are completed to get the maximum effect. Again, it is worth noting that this process is highly dependent on the competency of the staff performing the disinfecting, so using reputable cleaning companies is advised. Some companies are offering guarantees stating that once sprayed/ fogged or misted the chemical leaves a residual effect which can disinfect surfaces long after the actual disinfection. This is highly questionable in a working environment with industry leaders asking how this is guaranteed and if/ will normal cleaning practices remove the residual effect overtime, after the initial activity. I am not saying this is not true, merely posing the question!

Many surface cleaners which kill bacteria and viruses will dispatch with the coronaviruses, so I think it is worth noting that a thorough deep clean by trained staff will have the intended effect as a routine activity.

Some modern cleaning practices are emerging such as Electrostatic Antiviral Disinfection, in essence this process works like powder coat paint where the solution is applied with a low-pressure sprayer and charged particles adhere to every surface including crevices and undersides making it a very good way to disinfect. This process provides a high level of coverage which brings some reassurance and uses the same chemicals as fogging. Reputable companies will be offering this as part of an ongoing plan for infection control and prevention and part of regular cleaning services.

At this juncture in the article, I would question, will these more complex solutions detract/ distract from the core advice of social distancing and regular hand washing? Will this create a false sense of security?

I would conclude that the individual situation, should, determine the course of action and as we all know, some people can’t put a price on reassurance. Following the plethora of cleaning guidance out there is definitely a good place to start, Guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-decontamination-in-non-healthcare-settings

Sampling surfaces for Coronaviruses

Sampling for Coronaviruses including Covid-19 is now available and accessible for commercial testing and analysis. However, before a decision is made on whether to deploy this kind of sampling, it is important to understand the limitations of what the process and results will tell us and also what the next steps are, should undesirable results be forthcoming.

Firstly, as with one of the processes in use for human testing, the sample, is collected on a swab for surface contamination. This process is identical to existing surface swabbing techniques and anyone trained in this could competently undertake the sampling.

The results, if positive, demonstrate that the virus was present at the time of sampling on the sampled surface. They cannot demonstrate whether it is still present after the laboratory incubation of 72 hours.

For this reason, this sampling is useful for assessing efficacy post-cleaning, as after a cleaning operation there should be no presence (viable or otherwise) on the surface sampled for testing.

Sampling from surfaces, that have not been specifically decontaminated or cleaned prior to sampling, may produce positive results from a no longer viable source, potentially, triggering an unnecessary cleaning operation, along with a lot of worry and concern.

If a programme of sampling is under consideration, sampling locations should be carefully identified to ensure the results are going to provide suitable basis for ongoing day to day operation of a facility.

The laboratory analysis process is fairly expensive which is likely to limit the number of intended locations to sampled. Ventilation and air conditioning systems are at the forefront of many peoples’ minds, however notwithstanding the associated cost, other considerations are the system configuration and real likelihood of viable coronavirus contamination (i.e. has the building been wholly unoccupied for the last few weeks). Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) and European HVAC journal, REHVA, have published specific guidelines for building operators to use for reoccupying and operating buildings post coronavirus lockdown.

Part of the decision process to sample and test should also be what are the actions that will happen should any positive results be returned i.e. isolation procedures of an area or areas and the extent of subsequent cleaning and decontamination procedures.

In short, before embarking on a Covid-19 sampling and testing programme, it is important to be clear on what you are trying to achieve and will the sampling process being considered, be robust enough, to achieve, the desired outcome and finally have the various likely outcomes been considered.