Preparing for a COVID-safe workplace and environmental surface testing for SARS-CoV-2
Preparing for a post pandemic world
Social easing restrictions will eventually happen - but what does the research say? In today’s episode we’ll be reviewing what the literature says about direct and non-contact forms of virus transmission. I’ve just published a review paper on “Environmental Surface Contamination” and I’ll be picking out the key 🔑 points. In the media today, there’s some potential good news regarding how businesses should prepare for reopening. But what should they be considering? The Employment Minister, @senatormichaeliacash suggests that retailers create “COVID-safe workplaces”.
Businesses urged to create COVID-safe workplaces
With this in mind, I’ll be setting out some valuable information about surface contamination and what areas and items should be carefully monitored and screened. Apart from simply cleaning more carefully, some workplaces should be considering updates to their cleaning audits and how they may need to test surfaces to confirm that cleaning has minimised and virus that could have been shed. The utility of PCR swab tests will also be discussed as a pro-active way to perform cleaning validation as a form of environmental surveillance.
Top 10 key points
I'll be leaning heavily on a paper I wrote and that was just published on the topic of environmental surface contamination that is a mini-review of the state of the literature as this documents surface transmission risk. The full paper is here.
Examples
In one study involving hospital environmental hygiene, computer keyboards used by nurses were found to be contaminated at almost 17%.
In another study, this time in Singapore, nearly 57% of rooms had at least one contaminated surface. Their research showed that the most contaminated areas/items were: toilet seats and flush buttons at nearly 19%. This emphasizes the important of the feacal method of virus transmission into the local area environment.
Watch the LIvestream or download the podcast to learn about the Top 10 from the paper.
YouTube Link:
REFERENCES:
JONES, C.L. (2020). Environmental Surface Contamination with SARS-CoV-2 - A Short Review. Journal of Human Virology & Retrovirology. 8(1): 15-19. https://medcraveonline.com/JHVRV/JHVRV-08-00215.pdf
Yamato, J., & Olsen, M. (2020). What will a post-pandemic Hollywood look like? We asked Hollywood. Retrieved 30 April 2020, from https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2020-04-30/coronavirus-reopening-hollywood-production-survey
Rouse, A. (2020). Pubs and restaurants closed due to coronavirus prepare to reopen. Retrieved 30 April 2020, from https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8275969/Pubs-gyms-shops-restaurants-closed-COVID-19-lockdown-prepared-reopen.html
https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.02.25.20028043
https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2020.3227
https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.03.23.20039446
https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.03.23.20039446
https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.03.29.20046557
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26/7/20-0282_article
https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.04.04.20053058
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26/7/20-0282_article
https://doi.org/10.1111/ina.12606
https://doi.org/10.3201/eid1002.030759
Knowledge and perceptions of environmental surface contamination and COVID-19: OUR SURVEY AVAILABLE SOON HERE - CHECK COMMENTS FOR UPDATES ON LOGINS AND AVAILABILITY. ****THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST, THE SURVEY HAS NOW CLOSED - PUBLICATION TO APPEAR****
