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Public concern regarding the increase in COVID-19 infections highlights the importance of infection prevention and control protocols in safeguarding public health.  As August transitions into September, frontline teams at facilities nationwide are preparing to mitigate the spread of infectious diseases, like the ongoing measles outbreak and a rising number of COVID-19 cases. Commercial cleaning executives will need to prioritize proper infection prevention protocols to slow the spread of contaminants and keep occupants safe and healthy.

In August, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed 2,777 cases of measles across 47 states. Amid the measles epidemic, another familiar disease is beginning to take center stage. Although overall levels remain relatively low, COVID-19 cases are on the rise in 47 states, the sudden increase prompting school closures in Texas and Louisiana. As summer weather shifts into fall and people begin to spend more time indoors, commercial cleaning consistency will become a major disease deterrent.

Since the pandemic, cleanliness expectations have shifted. According to a CleanLink monthly poll, 38 percent of facility cleaning managers, environmental services professionals, building service contractors, and jan/san distributors and manufacturers alike have seen a transition from "perception of clean" to "proof of clean." This shows that clients expect not just visibility, but data proving cleaning has been completed. Perhaps this is why nearly 50 percent of CleanLink readers share that cleaning programs must focus on infection prevention and control to create and maintain healthy indoor environments.

The most important tool in any strong infection prevention program is hand hygiene. In fact, a study found that the combination of hand hygiene education and strategic alcohol-based sanitizer placement reduced hygiene-preventable health care claims by over 20 percent. To ensure compliance, commercial cleaning executives can train frontline staff on how handwashing can break the chain of disease transmission, as well as keep themselves and others healthy.