Until recently, the correlation between cold weather and an increase in seasonal cold infections was poorly understood--but new information suggests that it all starts with our nose.
The Impact of Cold Weather on the Spread of Illness
One of the most common modes of infectious disease transmission between humans is contact--directly with an infected host or indirectly with a contaminated surface or object.
Stay safe this holiday season and avoid catching and passing the cold and flu by following these simple yet effective hygiene tips.
Avoiding a COVID Christmas
It's a record year for the wrong reason--already the worst flu season in a decade, combined with record RSV infections and hospitalizations and climbing COVID cases and deaths.
Routine cleaning and targeted sanitization services stop the spread of germs in schools and offices.
The Impact of Cleaning on Schools and Businesses
Dirty classrooms negatively impact school and student performance, commonly resulting in several challenges:
Student and instructor attendance issues.
Facility hygiene directly impacts occupant health to such a degree that it is in the interest of public health to ensure schools and businesses achieve and maintain a high standard of cleanliness and safety.
Building Hygiene and Public Health
The environmental quality of public schools and office buildings directly affects public health.
Clean buildings are critical to the health and performance of both workers and businesses.
Clean Indoor Workspaces are Essential for Business Success
The amount of time U.S. adults spend indoors--typically at home, at work, or traveling between the two locations--has been thoroughly documented in recent years.
According to the current data, reported respiratory infections have spiked across the country, highlighting the need for increased cleaning and targeted sanitization frequencies in high-risk facilities.
Major Spike in Influenza-Like Illnesses
The U.S. is experiencing a massive spike in reported influenza-like illnesses--a fever with a cough or sore throat.
Winter break allows facilities managers and custodial workers to deep clean, sanitize, and perform planned maintenance on classrooms and education facilities.
Promoting Cleaner School Environments
Cleaner classrooms promote better health and safety, resulting in optimal learning conditions associated with improved test scores, attendance, and behavior.
Cleaner offices are more appealing to customers and employees, easier and faster to clean, and contain fewer environmental pathogens and harmful particles, resulting in lower costs and increased productivity.
Dirty Facts on Office Cleanliness
The average person will spend approximately one-third of their life--roughly 90 thousand hours--at work.
A rise in RSV cases is causing concern among healthcare officials who recommend increasing cleaning and sanitization frequencies as a preventative measure, particularly in facilities servicing vulnerable demographics.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Outbreak
RSV is a common respiratory virus that often results in mild, cold-like symptoms; it is the leading cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia for children younger than one year and is considered especially dangerous for infants and older adults.
Green cleaning protocols help build safer classrooms, resulting in better student and teacher attendance, higher grades and test scores, lower national healthcare costs, and superior educational outcomes.
Cleaner Classrooms Result in Superior Educational Outcomes
Clean classrooms promote academic success by removing surface and airborne contaminants that result in illness, affect behavioral health, and negatively impact cognitive functions.