While most of the rest of the country is reporting mild to moderate influenza outbreaks, several California counties, including Fresno, San Bernadino, San Luis Obispo, San Benito, and Santa Clara, are already reporting severe conditions.

Ready or Not, Here Comes the Flu
Early predictions that the U.S. could potentially experience a mild to non-existent influenza season appear to be wishful thinking.

Preventing the spread of pathogens, mold, mildew, and bacteria is only half of the challenge.  The other half is doing it safely without compromising the health and wellness of service providers and facility occupants.

Assessing Disinfection Service Application Methods
Presently, there are several commonly employed disinfectant application methods, each possessing varying degrees of safety and effectiveness, including:

Fogging
Misting
Trigger spraying
Backup and pump sprayers
Electrostatic sprayers
Applying the liquid directly to a cloth and then applying it to the surface

Trigger spraying has been one of the most popular methods of applying cleaning and disinfectant products for years but has recently fallen out of favor due to the atomization of disinfectant particles, which can cause serious health issues in service providers and other building occupants.

Controlling the spread of infectious disease requires a deliberate and conscious series of actions that break the chain of infection and disrupt a pathogen's ability to move from host to host.

Controlling the Spread of Infection in Schools, Homes, and Businesses
Influenza, coronavirus, rhinovirus, and norovirus infections run rampant during the colder months and are especially dangerous to older and younger demographics with underdeveloped or compromised immune systems and those suffering from a wide range of severe health issues, commonly referred to as comorbidities.

If one good thing could possibly be gleaned from the ongoing COVID-19 health crisis, it is that the implementation of consistent, high-performance enhanced cleaning and disinfection services have improved hospital hygiene and patient safety.

Pandemic Prevention Improves Hospital Health and Safety
Secondary infections, also known as healthcare-associated infections, have been a blackeye on the U.S. healthcare industry for years, resulting in hundreds of thousands of additional illnesses and tens of thousands of deaths each year.

A recent test of Boeing's advanced disinfection tools by Dr. Charles Gerba of the University of Arizona demonstrated significant progress in fighting COVID-19 and other pathogens.

Boeing's Advanced Disinfection Technologies Vs. COVID-19
A recent series of tests conducted by the University of Arizona's professor Dr. Charles Gerba on the efficacy of advanced cleaning tools onboard unoccupied Boeing passenger jets showed encouraging results in the fight against SARS-CoV-2.

The test was conducted against the bacteriophage virus MS2, which is considered more difficult to kill than SARS-CoV-2 using a UV wand that uses 222-nanometer UVC light, which research indicates effectively inactivates pathogens.

Though a year-round issue, norovirus outbreaks are especially challenging during the winter months, coinciding with the annual influenza season and, this year, the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, potentially overwhelming certain institutions if not dealt with professionally.

Preventative disinfection measures significantly improve the health and safety of occupied facilities by eliminating illness-causing pathogens, bacteria, molds, and mildews on high touch surfaces.

Preventing Infections Through High Touchpoint Cleaning Services
High touchpoints, a.k.a., fomites, are spots in every home, classroom, office, and publicly accessible facility that is regularly touched by people and include;

Playground equipment
Picnic tables
ATMs
Kitchen sinks
Office desks
Computer keyboards, and;
Escalator handrails

Knowing what these fomites are and how to attack the germs and bacteria living on them is critical to public health.

Nursing home and long-term care residents have been among the hardest hit during the COVID-19 pandemic, due in large part to their compromised immune systems and various comorbidities.

Protecting Nursing Home and Long-Term Care Residents With Enhanced Cleaning and Disinfection Services
Nursing home and long-term residents were hit especially hard throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year's influenza season appears to be off to the predicted slow start due, in large part, to the efforts put forth to halt the spread of SARS-CoV-2 throughout the year, but that could all shift rapidly in the other direction, so the population must be well informed regarding the similarities and differences between the two deadly respiratory illnesses.

A recent study has underscored the importance of high-quality hand hygiene practices in the fight against COVID-19 by demonstrating the amount of time SARS-CoV-2 can remain resident on human skin.

Washing Hands and Saving Lives--The Fight Against SARS-CoV-2
Regularly washing your hands with soap and water and applying hand sanitizer is a well-documented method for killing germs and staying healthy.