Over the past few weeks, U.S. K-12 schools, colleges, and universities have been navigating the waves of students returning to their buildings and campuses for the 2022-2023 academic year. Unfortunately, the students are not coming alone – they are likely bringing their personal germs with them.
Illnesses like the flu, common cold, RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), COVID-19, stomach bugs, strep throat, and pink eye (conjunctivitis) are commonly spread at schools and universities. Outbreaks within the first months of school are so common that teachers and parents commonly refer to it as the "back-to-school plague." To make matters worse than usual for the new school year, we’ve seen an increase in germs like RSV and the common cold circulating out of season this summer, 1 on top of COVID-19 cases. So, we may expect higher numbers of students than usual to bring these germs with them as they return to learning this fall.
Another new threat – primarily for colleges and universities – is the risk of monkeypox outbreaks, with some experts expecting “hot spots” to emerge on campuses.2 As the illness has rapidly spread across the U.S., with thousands of confirmed cases nationwide, five campuses have already confirmed cases this summer,3 even with most students away. While the overall risk of exposure to monkeypox remains low, college students living in close quarters, gathering to socialize, and potentially engaging in risky activities could lead to outbreaks on campuses. Thus, experts are encouraging colleges and universities to prepare for the arrival of monkeypox as students return to campus this autumn.4
Why are schools such germ factories?
K-12 schools, colleges, and universities commonly have crowded facilities with close student-to-student contact and many shared spaces and high-touch, “germy” surfaces. Combine these conditions with inadequate ventilation, poor hygiene habits (such as not keeping hands clean and covering mouths and noses when coughing or sneezing), and facility labor shortages, and that may mean less-than-optimal cleaning and disinfection. Together, these have the potential to create a breeding ground for the never-ending germs that plague our student populations and schools.
How can facilities help prevent the spread of germs throughout their buildings and campus?
Germs have the potential to live on surfaces for hours to even months, depending on the type of germ and type of surface, so routine surface cleaning and disinfecting are part of a broader approach to prevent the spread of germs. Here are 5 hygiene tips that will help protect against common outbreaks, as well as help to prevent the spread of “newer” illnesses like COVID and monkeypox:
1. Select the right surface cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting products. Reduce germs on surfaces by selecting the right product. Choose an EPA-registered sanitizer for food-contact surfaces or disinfectant for other hard and soft surfaces. Read the product label to ensure it’s effective against key germs like influenza A virus (flu), SARS-CoV-2 (COVID), and norovirus (“stomach bugs”). EPA-registered products that are believed to be effective against emerging germs like the monkeypox virus are registered on EPA’s List Q. Check with your supplier or the product manufacturer if in doubt about the efficacy of your products.
2. Focus sanitization or disinfection on surfaces most likely to be contaminated. School buildings or campuses are full of “hot zones” for surface-residing germs:
- Classrooms and student housing: High-touch surfaces in shared spaces such as handrails, doorknobs, light switches, elevator buttons, countertops, desks, and chairs.
- Cafeterias and dining facilities: High-touch surfaces like touchscreens and card readers and shared items/areas such as condiments, beverage dispensers, self-serve areas such as salad bars, and dining tables and chairs. Don’t forget germy surfaces in food preparation areas. (Read my blog on where germs may be hiding in your dining facility.)
- Gyms and athletic facilities: Shared sports equipment (e.g., helmets, pads, balls), exercise equipment (e.g., weights, treadmills, mats), and high-touch surfaces in gyms, locker rooms, and athletic training rooms, such as doorknobs, handles, taping and treatment tables, treatment/therapy equipment, and drinking fountains.
- Shared restrooms and locker rooms: Counters, toilet seats, handles, sink faucets, shower stalls, door handles, and floors (if used barefoot).
3. Ensure proper product placement. Ensure products are placed to promote their use. Consider placing disinfectant sprays or wipes in areas where staff and students over the age of 18 can help to keep shared (and personal) surfaces clean in between professional cleaning.
4. Train and educate. Ensure students and staff know where germs may be hiding, how to best get rid of them, and how to prevent them from contaminating surfaces. A recent study showed that providing educational reminders like posters and how-to guides led to a 95% reduction of germs on surfaces in athletic training facilities.5 Encourage adults to frequently disinfect personal devices such as mobile phones, pens, and computer keyboards/mice. To prevent germs like monkeypox that are mainly spread by skin-to-skin contact, remind students and staff to avoid sharing items that touch the skin such as clothing or costumes, towels, and bed linen.
5. Help break the transmission cycle with good general hygiene practices. The above steps will help to remove germs from surfaces. Here are a few general hygiene tips to help lower the risk of spreading germs to surfaces in the first place:
- Promote proper respiratory “etiquette” (e.g., cover a cough or sneeze into the elbow).
- Dispose of tissues and other personal use items immediately into the garbage bin.
- Practice good hand hygiene at key moments such as after using the toilet, before eating, and after blowing noses or handling garbage or other contaminated items.
- Ask staff and students to stay home if they are feeling unwell or exhibiting symptoms of illness.
Worry-free and effective solutions are available.
PURELL® surface disinfectant sprays and wipes clean and disinfect in one step (with no need to rinse) and kill germs that cause COVID-19, the common cold, flu, and stomach bugs in less than 1 minute. PURELL® surface sprays are offered with a battery-powered sprayer to help kill germs on surfaces even faster. Plus, they don't require gloves, handwashing, or rinsing after use – even on food-contact surfaces – making it simple to get powerful one-step germ-killing power without harsh chemicals.
PURELL® Surface Sanitizer and Disinfectant Sprays and Wipes have demonstrated effectiveness against viruses like monkeypox virus on hard, nonporous surfaces. Therefore, PURELL® Surface Sanitizer and Disinfectant Spray (EPA Reg. No. 84150-3 and 84150-4) can be used against monkeypox virus when used in accordance with the directions for use against Feline Calicivirus (30-second kill time) on hard nonporous surfaces. PURELL® Surface Sanitizer and Disinfectant Wipes (EPA Reg. No. 84150-1) can be used against monkeypox virus when used in accordance with the directions for use against Feline Calicivirus (5-minute kill time) on hard nonporous surfaces. Refer to the CDC website at https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/ for additional information. These products are included in the EPA List of Disinfectants for Emerging Viral Pathogens (EVPs), Including monkeypox.
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GOJO scientists and clinicians will be doing a series of blog posts through the remainder of the year to help you prepare personally and ensure your business is prepared for germs that will be circulating this winter. Make sure to subscribe to the GOJO blog to be notified when a new blog posts, so you don’t miss upcoming posts on “Are Viruses Behaving Strangely, or Are We?,” what to expect this flu season, and how to prepare your home and business for flu season. In the meantime, visit our K-12 Well-Being Center or Colleges & Universities Well-Being Center for helpful information and posters on hand and surface hygiene topics for schools, as well as interactive experiments to teach K-12 students the importance of hand hygiene.