CloroxPro Blog – Professional Cleaning and Disinfection Insights

We’re all familiar with cold and flu “season.” That time of year when it seems as if everyone around us is pushing through sniffles, coughs and general achiness when they should be taking it easy at home.

But the truth is we’re no less susceptible to these illnesses throughout the rest of the year.

In fact, it’s estimated that adults suffer from 2-5 colds per year, making them one of the leading causes of missed days at work.¹

Considering this, there’s good reason to keep disinfection practices top of mind all year round. During cold and flu season, and beyond.

The cost of being sick

Being sick isn’t fun. But beyond the physical toll the cold and flu can take on us as individuals, the financial and public burdens are also great on Canadians as a whole. 

The figures speak for themselves:

• 1.5 million: The number of workdays lost each year due to the flu²
• $1 billion: The estimated cost to the Canadian system due to the flu (in healthcare and lost productivity)²
• $300 million: What Canadians spend each year on cold and flu treatments, making them the second most commonly used medications in Canada³

Based on the numbers, it’s in everyone’s best interest to be proactive when it comes to the cold and flu. That means doing what we can to minimize and prepare for what we know is sure to come.

According to researchers, “preventative measures that result in even a modest reduction in colds and flu would have a significant impact on reducing costs to the healthcare system and impact on the economy.”³

Predictably unpredictable

While we’ve come to expect colds and flu to hit at certain times of year, the reality is that pathogens don’t observe our calendar.

Anyone can catch a cold or flu at any time. And when a new flu strain takes society by surprise, the consequences can be significant on a global scale.⁴ Think back to the “Swine flu” A(H1N1) pandemic of 2009, which started in Mexico and spread to over 214 countries and overseas communities, for example.⁴

Whether you’re defending against a pandemic, dealing with seasonal outbreaks, or performing daily disinfection, one thing is certain: safeguarding our environments plays an important role in protecting public health.

And it doesn’t have to be complicated.

Disinfection as preventative measure

Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces that can carry pathogens should be part of any plan, not only to combat cold and flu outbreaks but also to help avoid them.

As a prevention tactic recognized by Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) Canada, the Government of Canada, and the CDC, it’s clear that proper cleaning and disinfection can help reduce the spread of these illnesses, especially in public settings.^5-7

Rethink disinfection. Here’s how.

If an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, it’s worthwhile to rethink the way we approach disinfection.

Here are four key items to keep in mind:

1. Check for kill claims
   Use Health Canada-registered disinfectants with a rhinovirus and influenza claim.
2. Think about use
   Ensure regular and frequent cleaning and disinfecting, especially of high-touch surfaces, rather than managing incidents reactively.
3. Stay regular
   Ensure regular and frequent cleaning and disinfecting, especially of high-touch surfaces, rather than managing incidents reactively.
4. Leave no surface uncovered
   Don’t let pathogens hide on the underside or back of surfaces when disinfecting. Though these hard-to-reach surfaces may be difficult to tackle, the effort is well worth it.

Try Clorox^® Total 360^® to reach the side, underside and back of surfaces, or Clorox Healthcare^® Hydrogen Peroxide Cleaner Disinfectant Pull Top or Spray for soft-surface disinfection.

Perhaps the best way to manage cold and flu season is to treat it like any other time of year: with effective disinfection on a regular basis to ensure a clean and healthy environment.

References:

1. Canadian Centre for Occupational Health & Safety. Common cold. https://bit.ly/2R0xBK7. Accessed September 24, 2018.
2. Canadian Healthcare Influenza Immunization Network. Influenza facts. https://bit.ly/2QY73ZF. Accessed September 24, 2018.
3. Workplace Safety & Prevention Services https://bit.ly/2Q69GY5. Accessed September 24, 2018.
4. World Health Organization. Pandemic influenza: An evolving challenge. https://bit.ly/2NAXUbD. Accessed September 24, 2018.
5. Infection Prevention and Control Canada. Seasonal influenza, avian influenza and pandemic influenza. https://bit.ly/2QX4neU. Accessed September 24, 2018.
6. Government of Canada. Prevention of flu (influenza). https://bit.ly/2OQRphw. Accessed September 24, 2018.
7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The flu: Preventive steps. https://bit.ly/2dKjd7e. Accessed September 24, 2018.