Coronavirus-Useful Information To Help You Stay Safe

11 Feb 2020

As Coronavirus infection disease continues to made headline. With the growing number of reported cases and the death toll rising. We have put together some useful information based on public Health England. 
These useful guidelines should help you stay safe in any public area such as places of work, commuting on public transport, visiting places, or simply going about your daily life.

This guideline also outlines infection prevention and control advice for healthcare providers 

WHAT IS CORONAVIRUS? A coronavirus is a type of virus. As a group, coronaviruses are common across the world. Typical symptoms of coronavirus include fever and a cough that may progress to severe pneumonia causing shortness of breath and breathing difficulties.
Generally, coronavirus can cause more severe symptoms in people with weakened immune systems, older people, and those with long-term conditions like diabetes, cancer and chronic lung disease.
Wuhan novel coronavirus (WN-CoV) is a new strain of coronavirus first identified in Wuhan City, China. WN-CoV is a new respiratory illness that has not previously been seen in humans, it is not known exactly how the virus spreads from person to person, but similar viruses spread by cough droplets.
While the risk to the UK population remains low, there is a highly precautionary measure taken by the government to limit the potential spread of infection

These are the common symptoms of Coronavirus?

• SORE THROAT
• COUGHING
• DIFFICULTY BREATHING
• RUNNY NOSE
• FEVER

According to Public Health England recommendation. There should be 14 days incubation period for anyone who has visited the affected area or come in close contact with an infected person. It is advised you; 
• stay indoors and avoid contact with other people as you would with other flu viruses • call NHS 111 to inform them of your recent travel or contact with an infected person.
If you are in Northern Ireland, call your GP. Please follow this advice even if you do not have symptoms of the virus.
If you develop symptoms such as fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat or difficulty breathing, you should continue to follow the advice above. 
Please do not leave your home until you have been given advice by a clinician.

Effective Infection Prevention Control Measure

Coronaviruses are mainly transmitted by large respiratory droplets and direct or indirect contact with infected secretions. They have also been detected in blood, faeces and urine and, under certain circumstances, airborne transmission is thought to have occurred from aerosolised respiratory secretions and faecal material.
As coronaviruses have a lipid envelope, a wide range of disinfectants is effective. Personal protective equipment (PPE) and good infection prevention and control precautions are effective at minimising risk.
In the absence of effective drugs or vaccine, control of this disease relies on the prompt identification, appropriate risk assessment, management and isolation of possible cases, and the investigation and follow up of close contacts to minimise potential onward transmission.
Effective infection prevention and control measures, including transmission-based precautions (airborne, droplet and contact precautions) with the recommended personal protective equipment (PPE) are essential to minimise these risks. Appropriate cleaning and decontamination of the environment are also essential in preventing the spread of this virus.

2019-nCoV specific infection control measures for healthcare should include the following:

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Choose the correct PPE. It is essential to choose the correct face mask if you decide to wear a mask when out in a public area. FFP3 respirator conforming to EN149 is the recommended face mask. Fit testing must be undertaken before using this equipment to ensure effective protection.

Maintaining Respiratory and cough hygiene
Respiratory and cough hygiene will minimise the risk of cross-transmission of respiratory illness:
•    Ensure  covering your nose and mouth with a disposable tissue when sneezing, coughing, wiping and blowing the nose
•    all used tissues should be disposed of promptly into a waste bin
•     clean your hands after coughing, sneezing, using tissues, or after contact with respiratory secretions or objects contaminated by these secretions

Hand hygiene

It is essential that hand hygiene is maintained at all time. 
Use soap and water to wash hands or an alcohol hand rub if hands are visibly clean when you are in contact with any object in a public area.

Environmental Decontamination

There is evidence for other coronaviruses of the potential for widespread contamination of patient rooms or environments, so effective cleaning and decontamination is vital.
Cleaning and decontamination should only be performed by trained infection control personnel. 
After cleaning with neutral detergent, a chlorine-based disinfectant should be used, in the form of a solution at a minimum strength of 1,000ppm available chlorine.
The main patient isolation room should be cleaned at least once a day, and following aerosol-generating procedures or other potential contamination.
There should be more frequent cleaning of commonly used hand-touched surfaces and of anteroom or lobby areas (at least twice per day).
To ensure the appropriate use of PPE and that an adequate level of cleaning is undertaken which is consistent with the recommendations in this document, it is strongly recommended that cleaning of the isolation area is undertaken separately to the cleaning of other clinical areas.
Dedicated or disposable equipment must be used for environmental decontamination. Reusable equipment must be decontaminated after use with a chlorine-based disinfectant as described above.

Healthcare Obligation

Healthcare Management should be mindful of its responsibilities to both staff and non-staff, under The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 and The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.

Clean360 Bio-Clean specialises in infection control. We use a patented touch-less fogging and electro-static disinfection spraying system which is designed to deliver electrically charged disinfection and decontamination chemical solution. Please contact our team for more information. 
 

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