With the fall semester wrapping up and students looking forward to a return to classes in 2022, many colleges and universities are on high alert to see just how bad the flu season will be this year. Obviously, schools want to reduce the impact of flu as well as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Healthy students learn better, and healthy teachers teach better. Unlike previous years, we have no idea what to expect for the 2021-2022 flu season.
Early signs indicate that this winter's flu season could be a big one; over the last few weeks, outbreaks have begun to emerge on campuses, with thousands of students coming down with flu1 at the same time as campuses work to keep COVID-19 cases at bay. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that most of the flu cases detected so far this season are in young adults ages 5-24 years.2 With the combination of relatively low vaccination rates among college students (<40% reported in a study published this year3) and many campuses relaxing mask requirements and resuming social and extracurricular activities like collegiate sports, there's a risk that the flu could come back with a vengeance.
Why are college campuses so susceptible to flu outbreaks?
College campuses are an active breeding ground for contagious respiratory viruses like the flu. The virus spreads rapidly in close quarters like common living spaces, classrooms, shared restrooms, dining, and athletic facilities. Like other respiratory viruses, such as the common cold or COVID-19, the flu is believed to be transmitted by multiple routes, including from touching objects contaminated from coughs, sneezes, or unclean hands – called "fomites." In the winter, with people spending more time indoors, there is a huge potential for fomites to be found across your campus – with one study showing half of all common buildings were contaminated with the flu virus!4 Once a surface is contaminated, studies have shown that the flu virus can live and potentially infect a person for up to 48 hours.5
How can colleges help stop the spread?
Step 1 – It starts with having a plan and the right products. The good news is that having a cleaning and disinfection program – that incorporates dining and athletic facilities – can play a significant role in minimizing the spread of flu across your campus. Creating germ-free surfaces starts with selecting the right product. Choose an EPA-registered disinfectant and read the label to ensure the product states it's effective against the influenza A (flu) virus. Also, some products may take longer than others to kill germs, so review and follow the instructions to make sure you are leaving the product on the surface long enough to kill the germs.
Step 2 – Focus on disinfecting high-touch surfaces. The next step is to focus on frequent disinfection of key surfaces in areas that are more likely to be contaminated with the flu viruses. For college campuses, this may include:
- Common Spaces: High-touch surfaces such as handrails, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, desks, and chairs, including upholstered and soft surfaces, in shared spaces like classrooms, restrooms, and student accommodations.
- Dining Facilities: High-touch surfaces like touch screens and card readers, and shared items such as condiments, dining tables, and chairs.
- Athletic Facilities: Sports equipment (e.g., helmets and pads), shared exercise equipment (e.g., weights, treadmills, etc.), and high-touch surfaces in gyms and athletic training rooms, such as doorknobs, handles, taping/treatment tables, treatment/therapy equipment, and water dispensers/fountains.
Step 3 – Ensure proper product placement. The product should be placed conveniently to promote its use. Consider setting disinfectant sprays or wipes in areas where students/staff can help to keep shared surfaces clean between professional cleanings.
Step 4 – Provide education. A recent study showed that providing educational reminders like posters and how-to guides led to a 95 percent reduction of germs on surfaces.6 In addition to cleaning shared surfaces, also encourage frequent disinfection of personal devices such as mobile phones, pens, and computer keyboards/mice.
This may seem like a lot of work, but your efforts will pay multiple dividends – these same surface hygiene practices can also help protect against other outbreaks like the common cold, gastrointestinal illnesses, and COVID-19.
Worry-free and effective solutions
PURELL® Surface Sanitizers, Disinfectants, and Wipes are EPA-registered, safe for most hard surfaces across your campus, and kill 99.9% of viruses and bacteria, including the flu virus and human coronavirus (COVID-19) in 30 seconds. They earned the EPA's lowest allowable toxicity rating (Category IV), so they don't require gloves, handwashing, or rinsing after use – even on food-contact surfaces.
Visit the PURELL® Brand Well-Being Center and download our Athletic Facilities Cleaning Checklist for more tips on surface disinfection and other hygiene solutions to keep your campus open safely throughout the 2021-2022 flu season. Read our blog "Your Best Recruit – A Hand Hygiene and Surface Disinfecting Program for Collegiate Athletic Facilities" for more information on disinfection in athletic facilities.