Cleaning of places, especially the floors in the offices and houses, has become one of the top priorities during these days of corona infections. The surfaces are the hot spots for virus and people, and all efforts are on to clean them.
But a study points out that it is not that easy as we think and do. It says that even very aggressive and organised efforts can fall short. Because we need extra effort for the same.
For 5 ½ weeks, researchers tagged surfaces of a small-animal veterinary practice daily with a fluorescent dye visible only under black light. They monitored the surfaces 24 hours later to see if the marks were showing. Only half of all surfaces were adequately cleaned during the study period. Human-touch surfaces — such as medical instruments, dog run handles, and computer mice and keyboards — were cleaned less frequently than areas touched primarily by animals. The results were similar to studies from other veterinary clinics.
“The concept of infectious diseases is around us all the time, but now it’s more important than ever to take steps to protect ourselves,” said senior study author Jason Stull, assistant professor of veterinary preventive medicine at The Ohio State University.
The researchers assessed almost 5,000 surfaces over the course of the study. On average, 50 percent of surfaces were cleaned, with broad variations by type of surface and hospital location. The human-touch surfaces were the least likely to be cleaned.
“Our study also highlights that, despite our best efforts, 100 percent cleaning and disinfection is unlikely to occur. This is important to remember, as regardless of where you visit, it’s also best to assume surfaces may be contaminated — and before you come back into your home, you should follow the recommendations to clean your hands and clean items you’ve handled.”
