By Dan Hounsell

While much of the focus on preventing the spread of the coronavirus turned to HVAC systems and ventilation in healthcare facilities, sanitization, disinfection and environmental services remain central components of keeping staff and patients healthy and safe.

Surface disinfection is key to containing viral outbreaks and has never been more important than it is right now, according to Infection Control Today. Fundamentally, the concept and importance of surface disinfection hasn't changed. However, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic makes it imperative to change the way the healthcare community conducts proper surface cleaning and disinfection. It starts with mindset because health care and lives depend on it.

Recent studies have shown that only 32 percent of the 110,000 objects in inpatient and outpatient health care facilities are thoroughly cleaned. To mitigate the spread of potential pathogens that cause healthcare-associated infections, infection prevention practices must evolve. Everyone practicing should know the following:

• Proper cleaning and disinfecting are a top priority, and there is a definite distinction between the two.
• Disinfectants and their uses are unique.
• Environmental services plays a vital role in infection prevention.
• Everyone is responsible for infection prevention.
• Supplies can run short.
• Training about supplies must happen regularly and change based on the readily available supplies