Is your workspace safe from the COVID-19 Coronavirus?
Two weeks ago, the People’s Bank of China announced that it will be destroying potentially infected cash in order to contain spread of the virus.
As the situation continues to worsen globally, is your office taking thorough measures to curb spread of diseases in the workspace?
A drastic measure such as purging all your cash resources is avoidable if you start taking action now.
What is COVID-19?
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), over 167,600 people worldwide are infected by the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and more than 6,400 have died since the start of January.
It’s been a mere two months since the first case was reported in Wuhan, China, and scientists are yet to get a handle on the outbreak.
In fact, only a third of private businesses have resumed business in China due to a country-wide lockdown. China’s total revenue is predicted to plummet by a whopping 50% if the epidemic extends through to August.
Origins
COVID-19 causes more severe illnesses (such as pneumonia) than the documented Corona Viruses, namely Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).
Previously, COVID-19 had not been diagnosed in humans, and it’s been suspected that it is another rare case of an animal coronavirus, infecting and spreading between humans.
How it spreads
The first infections were linked to a live animal market in Hubei Province, China, but the virus now spreads from person to person.
Like all viruses that spread via human contact, it can continue to do so – but currently, it is unclear how contagious it is.
Someone who is actively sick (symptomatic) can easily spread the virus to others through respiratory droplets.
These can be suspended in air or on surfaces, spreading to any person who touches their own mouth, nose, or eyes after coming into contact with the contaminated surface.
Preventative measures
At present, there is no vaccine for COVID-19, but there are several steps you can take to prevent it from spreading. The Centre for Diseases Control and Prevention recommends cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces using cleaning spray or wipes.
A recent study published in the Journal of Hospital Infections found that COVID-19 can survive between 2 hours and 9 days on glass, wood, metal and other common materials.
This warrants frequent cleaning and disinfecting of office spaces to reduce the likelihood of the virus spreading at work.
The World Health Organisation recommends using alcohol-based disinfectants to clean such surfaces.
The study also states that ethanol-based disinfectants that contain 62-71% concentration “significantly reduces coronavirus infectivity on surfaces” within 1 minute of exposure time.
The good news is that Digi-Clean offers a wide range of approved cleaning agents for use in the home, on the go and at work.
Keep your workspace safe with the Digi-Clean Basic and Deep Clean services
WebMD lists the workplace as the primary place for the presence and spreading of germs, after public bathrooms and restaurants.
Mobile phones, keyboards, and desks are the main culprits for attracting a variety of germs with every single use.
We recommend that surfaces are sanitised at least once a week to prevent spreading the Corona Virus in the workplace.
The Digi-Clean Basic Clean service offers specialist cleaning of the exterior of all workstation equipment, tackling COVID-19 by sanitising the surfaces in your offices.
For a more robust solution, you can opt for the Digi-Clean Deep Clean, which takes workspace sanitation to the next level by having our qualified technicians clean the interior of your digital assets, effectively keeping your employees safe from COVID-19 infection.
Contact us for a detailed proposal and quotation on [email protected] or +27 (0) 10 312 6424.
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