With coronavirus at the forefront of everyone’s minds these days, the importance of preventing the spread of viral and bacterial infections in hospitals and care homes has never been more in the public focus.
There are two main areas for consideration – preventing the spread of infection and, in the event of an outbreak, containment and eradication of the infection.
Preventative measures
The first is handled by the preventative measures laid out in a carehome or hospital ward’s standard infection control procedures (SICPs). These can be neatly summed up as follows:
- Assess all new patients or residents for infection prior to admission
- Seek advice before admitting a patient or resident displaying possible infection risks
- Manage equipment and the ward/home environment safely
- Use personal protective equipment (PPE) correctly in order to prevent the spread of any infectious agents
- Promote sensible sneezing and coughing hygiene guidelines
- Perform hand hygiene at the appropriate moments:
> before and after touching a patient/resident
> before and after undertaking medical or aseptic procedures
> after exposure to bodily fluids
Deep cleaning
In the event of an outbreak – be it COVID-19, MRSA, or other infectious disease – it is important to eradicate all trace of the infection from the premises. A most effective way to do so is by deep cleaning the ward or home. Following the rise in MRSA cases in UK hospital wards in the mid-2000s, a key finding of the subsequent investigation was that hospitals were being insufficiently cleaned. Both MRSA and coronavirus can linger on surfaces, but both can be eliminated through effective deep cleaning using the right tools and disinfectants.
Fogging
Fogging is an effective way to disinfect hospital wards and carehomes. Chemical disinfectants are applied to the area in a fog of liquid droplets. These not only reduce airborne infectious microbes, but also gets into all the nooks and crannies that might otherwise be difficult to clean effectively.
Here at KDC we have been using the most stringent deep cleaning and fogging processes in the industry, eradicating surface-borne infections in care homes, hospitals and other premises across the country. You can find more information on our hospital & carehome cleaning as well as our infection control cleaning services on our website, or contact us on 0208 245 8850 for a no obligation quote.
