Cleaning Pros Should Adjust for Winter Viruses

TUSCALOOSA, AL -- The goal of the professional cleaning industry is to keep people healthy. With winter coming up, this means it’s time to focus on winter viruses and ways the industry can prevent the spread of winter diseases.

For thousands of years, we have known certain viruses are seasonal, occurring mostly in the winter months. It’s believed this is caused by such things as colder weather, more humidity, sometimes less humidity, less sunlight, etc.

This combination of factors makes certain viruses more stable, allowing them to remain airborne and transmittable for a longer time.

"Just because they’re airborne longer doesn’t mean they’re only transmitted through inhalation," said Michael Wilson, vice president of marketing at AFFLINK, a sales and marketing organization made up of distributor members.

"In virtually every case, many viruses are transmitted by touching contaminated surfaces and objects," said Wilson.

With this in mind, here are some seasonal winter viruses that can be transmitted by touching contaminated surfaces:

• Strep throat. Caused by inhaling or touching a bacteria called Streptococcus, strep throat differs from a simple sore throat. It requires antibiotics to treat, and according to one doctor, "your throat feels like swallowing knives every time you swallow."

• Norovirus. This disease causes nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Very contagious, it spreads primarily by touching contaminated surfaces. Norovirus occurs most frequently from November through April and is found more on land than at sea.

• Bronchitis. The most common symptom of bronchitis is coughing. It spreads by inhalation and by touching tainted surfaces and then touching your nose, eyes, or mouth.

• Pneumonia. More common in the winter months, symptoms include cough, high fever, fatigue, chest pain, and shortness of breath. Spread by inhalation, the virus can also be transmitted by touching contaminated surfaces.

Because these viruses are seasonal, Wilson says cleaning professionals need to make seasonal cleaning changes, using different cleaning solutions and procedures to prevent these diseases from spreading.

"This means consulting with your jan-san distributor. Especially in a post-COVID world, ‘trial and error' cleaning is out. Cleaning workers need to make sure they are using the right products and procedures to keep people healthy this winter."

Also consider:
· Humidity and respiratory virus transmission in tropical and temperate settings;
· The real reason germs spread in winter.

Connecting more than 200 manufacturers of Facility Maintenance, Packaging, Safety, Office, and Industrial Supply solutions with over 350 independent distribution experts, AFFLINK offers clients’ innovative products, market expertise, and improved profitability, all of which is fueled by our leading-edge information technology.

For more info, visit www.afflink.com.