We have all found ourselves in strange and difficult times with the arrival of the new coronavirus that is causing the current pandemic. The official name is now SARS-CoV-2, (it stands for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2) it was previously known as Covid-19. Covid-19 is probably what it will be known as to the vast majority of people. At this time of strife we, as a business, have tried to find a way to do our bit and after spending some time reading about Covid-19 we came across the information below.
The Covid-19 virus that we are dealing with right now is new to humans and very little is known about it. One of the many questions scientists are wrestling with right now is:
An analysis published on the 17th March 2020 in 'The New England Journal of Medicine', showed that the virus can remain viable in the air for up to 3 hours, on cardboard for up to 24 hours and on smooth surfaces such as plastic and stainless steel up to 72 hours (source: www.livescience.com). Studies done on related coronavirus (such as the ones that cause SARS and MERS) have shown that the viruses can remain viable for up to 9 days on hard surfaces.
As part of our business activities we run a hard surface cleaning & disinfection service (kennels, stables etc). We cut our teeth on the 'Foot & Mouth' crisis of 2001 as workers going round disinfecting farms and animal transport, so are no strangers to 'infection control'. When the crisis was over we offered this service to other businesses such as Stables, Kennels and regular cleaning of animal transport. Our vans are equipped with IBC tanks (water tanks), detergent and disinfectant tanks, electric pumps (for low pressure) and petrol or diesel pressure washers (for high pressure).
Using a concentrated disinfectant shown to kill viruses, our machines automatically mix the concentrate with water at the required ratio before a fully protected operative sprays the selected area with a fine mist of disinfectant. This is termed 'misting', a similar process called 'fogging' is used for internal areas.
As there is no physical contact by the operative with any surface (all 'misting' is done from distance), disinfecting areas in this way is increasingly being seen as a safer method (by reducing the risk of infection to the operator) with the added advantage of being more thorough than a traditional 'hands on' approach with wipes and spray bottles. In addition, 'misting' can save time as large areas can be misted in a short time by a single operative.
As we all try to do our bit for the common good, from the very brave frontline NHS workers (thank you), the very helpful supermarket staff (thank you) and the children losing their playtime (but taking it on the chin like Ironman-thank you to you too), it has never been more true, and in so many ways, that every little bit helps.
This service can be provided to any organisation or business as part of their Infection Control strategy or individuals who wish to disinfect external areas.
Please call Michael directly on
or email:
Michael@durhamangels.co.uk
should you need any of these services.