Make COVID Protocols a Lifesaving Habit.
How thankful we are that with increase vaccination the rate of infection and hospitalization has reduced. Our custodial management teams feel much more secure and comfortable doing what they passionately do – creating a ‘spa klean’ ambience to your delight.
Restrictions or Freedom?
Sadly, as the rate of vaccination increases the rate of compliance with COVID protocols declines. That is to be expected because those protocols – handwashing, physical distancing, masking, disinfection, etc., were mandated and advertised as antidotes to break the chain of COVID infection. How quickly they are jettison with the removal or relaxing of mandates! Afterall these protocols are communicated as ‘COVID restrictions’ – and who wants to be restricted. We certainly enjoy our freedom.
The reality though continues to elude the populace. SARS-CoV-2 is not the only virus causing infection in our environment. There are tons of microbes in our environment including known disease-causing bacteria and viruses. While the COVID warfare may be waning, the microbial warfare (viral, bacterial, fungal and parasitic infections) continues to rage! True, they may not be raging at pandemic proportions, but a lot of lives are lost to these microbes annually.
Hygiene Protocols
According to the World Health Organization, “the most common diseases in Ghana include those endemic to sub-Saharan African countries particularly, cholera, typhoid, pulmonary tuberculosis, anthrax, pertussis, tetanus, chicken pox, yellow fever, measles, infectious hepatitis, trachoma, malaria, HIV and schistosomiasis.” Ironically the control of these diseases includes basic hygiene practices commonly known as “COVID restrictions.” How much better if these COVID protocols or restrictions are transformed into Hygiene Protocols and promoted as lifesaving protocols that bring freedom from infections!
True, some restrictions and lockdowns were essential during the heat of the pandemic to break the chain of transmission, and these obviously have derailed the economy. However, not every measure that is being promoted is necessarily a restriction. Frequent handwashing and surface disinfection of high touch points is never a restriction. Covering nose and mouth while sneezing, avoiding eye touching, picking nose and ears are standard hygiene etiquettes.
A framework survey conducted by WHO Infection Prevention Control and Global Unit in 2016 noted, “If performed correctly and at the right time, hand hygiene can play a critical role in halting the spread and acquisition of microbes that cause health care-associated infections, including those caused by antimicrobial resistant microorganisms”.
Unfortunately, the antieconomic and antisocial impact of lockdowns and physical distancing have branded negatively all COVID measures including hand hygiene! No wonder in the haste to return to normalcy, all, including lifesaving protocols, have quickly been abandoned. Sadly, very efficient business systems such as virtual meetings that became so popular are being abandoned completely.
Transformation
To transform this deadly trend will require some massive public education to change the mindset and some positive legislation and adjustment in the manner of relaxing existing legislation.
Words have power! The impact of the choice of words in any communication cannot be over emphasized. An instance is how “social distancing” was immediately changed to “physical distancing” when the negative social impact became obvious. Other expressions such as “mind the gap” in some social setting is even more positive than “physical distancing”. In the same vein “lifesaving hygiene procedures” may be more palatable than ‘COVID restrictions or protocols’; “hygiene” is more broad and yet more friendly than “COVID” that evokes fear, panic, and pain for many; “lifesaving procedures” or similar wording is more positive than “restrictions,” that seems to take away freedom, and even the word “protocols” may be too formal and unfriendly. Obviously, the experts of public education will do a better job in getting the right words that transcend beyond COVID, words that attract rather than repel so as to motivate perpetual compliance.
Complimenting such public education will be legislation and mandates by the government especially for the recalcitrant and those with entrenched negative habits. This is very effective when compliance is enforced. Indeed, the hefty penalty of COVID lockdown on the economy has negatively branded mandates and hence the push to scrap everything COVID. However not everything COVID is antisocial and insisting on handwashing and hand hygiene is not only lifesaving but indeed boost new consumption patterns and revenue streams for businesses and eventually boost the economy. “Hand hygiene improvement programmes can prevent up to 50% avoidable infections acquired during health care delivery and generate economic savings on average 16 times the cost of implementation”, notes WHO. So why then remove hand hygiene mandates for public buildings, shopping malls, schools and even public gatherings! Thus, a selective approach in relaxing mandates can be a shrewd approach in instilling some lifesaving habits. Many businesses have already invested in procuring veronica buckets, handwashing stations, sanitizer dispensers etc., and suddenly these have all been abandoned and put out of use. Producers of sanitizers and hand wash soaps expanded production capacities in response to increase demand. The multiplier effect of these new consumption patterns has positive effect on the economy and this should be protected.
It is commendable that attention has been given to vaccination. This has reduced infection rates and hospitalization. Vaccination though will help fight an identifiable microbe. Legislating cleaning standards, however, will fight microbes both known and unknown. There is abysmal absence of cleaning standards in the country – either they do not exist, or they are outdated and without this, enforcing compliance is a dream. Cleaning Standards by OSHA, CDC cleaning and disinfection guidelines, CDC environmental cleaning in healthcare facilities, EPA Guidance for cleaning and disinfection, K-12 Schools Cleaning Standards – these are but a few of what pertains in some environments. Can we simply adopt some of these and legislate them? Without mandates and legislations businesses will continue to cut their cleaning budgets and deal with unprofessional cleaning agencies, putting the lives of many at risk. COVID-19 is a clarion call to the responsible governmental agencies to update and adopt appropriate cleaning standards, for schools, healthcare facilities, food processing facilities and public facilities. Any push for legislating cleaning standards is a drive to institutionalize some lifesaving habits.
-COVID -19 has wreaked havoc to our economy, but it has created a new platform that affords us opportunities to distill lifesaving habits and build our cleaning defense systems, as individuals, corporate bodies and as a nation. On this occasion of the 8th Sparkling Healthcare, we encourage individuals to adopt hand hygiene and handwashing as a way of life. Please mind the gap when you deal with your neighbors, clients and workmates – it means your life. If you are sick with a cough or cold, please put on a mask or work from home. Continue to disinfect touchpoints as a way of life – remember there are many more microbes than SARS-CoV-2. This is the time to adapt and adopt these measures as habits – habits that will save our lives. He
Spaklean is a custodial Management Company that has been in business for the past 15 years in Ghana. It offers commercial cleaning, facility maintenance and project management services. Spaklean has a CSR initiative dubbed “Sparkling Healthcare” that seeks to promote a sterile cleaning service at public health facilities. On public holidays Spaklean together with doners clean selected public healthcare facilities, train the local custodial team and donate cleaning tools, equipment and chemicals to support the cleaning of the facility. Spaklean uses the occasion also to educate the public on cleaning techniques and practices that promote good health. LEKMA General Hospital, LEKMA Polyclinic and Kumasi Children Hospital were selected for the 8th Sparkling healthcare Campaign on 2022 May Day holiday.