Learning lessons on how to deal with norovirus in educational establishments

As the clocks change and the leaves start to fall, norovirus season also approaches. Andrew Marshall, Managing Director of Julius Rutherfoord, gives advice on how cleaning can help keep the bugs at bay in schools, colleges and universities.

Norovirus – also known as the ‘winter vomiting bug’ – is never far from the headlines, especially as we enter the colder months of the year. Media stories tend to focus on the closure of hospital wards due to outbreaks – but this nasty virus is not just the preserve of healthcare environments. Norovirus thrives in any place where lots of people meet and gather, so educational establishments are a prime breeding ground.

Illness is the most common reason for absence from schools, accounting for more than half (58%) of school days missed.* Maintaining a healthy and safe environment for staff and pupils is, therefore, absolutely essential – not just for the purpose of cleanliness, but also to minimise the spread of infections.

What is norovirus?

According to NHS Choices, there are at least 25 different strains of noroviruses know to affect humans, and they are the most common cause of stomach bugs (gastroenteritis) in the UK. It estimates that between 600,000 and one million people are affected by norovirus each year. It also states that outbreaks of norovirus in public places, such as hospitals, nursing homes and schools, are common, ‘because the virus can survive for several days on surfaces or objects touched by an infected person’. This makes cleaning even more important in educational establishments, not just to create a welcoming environment that will encourage learning and development, but also to enhance health and well-being.

The symptoms are extremely unpleasant – starting with nauseous feelings, and then progressing to diarrhoea and actual vomiting. Additional symptoms such as fever, headache or aching leg/arm muscles can also be experienced. Thankfully, periods of illness are usually short-lived, lasting no more than two days, but in the very old or very young, symptoms can last longer and have even greater negative consequences.

Risk factors

Schools, colleges and universities are particularly vulnerable to the spread of norovirus thanks to the amount of young people, staff, and other visitors who use educational facilities every day. Surfaces everywhere can harbour the virus – from door handles to desks, and chairs to computer equipment – so the threat is ever-present.

An outbreak can cause major problems in these locations, seriously affecting learning outcomes. With course work contributing to exam results, missing crucial lessons or deadlines for the completion of work can cause significant problems. For the educational establishments themselves, this could result in lower results, not to mention the extra expense of hiring supply teachers to fill in for ill staff.

Parents and staff can help by encouraging pupils to practise good hand-washing techniques, using soap and water to reduce the spread of infection. It is also beneficial to make hand sanitisers available at key locations throughout school facilities, especially by access doors, for people to use when they are entering and exiting classrooms or buildings. School washrooms should always be correctly equipped with anti-bacterial soaps and dispensers. They need to be regularly cleaned by trained operatives and checked for contamination.

How cleaning can help

Prevention is better than cure, and effective cleaning is one of the single most important factors in reducing the spread of norovirus.

Julius Rutherfoord is highly experienced in delivering cleaning services to the educational sector, keeping facilities immaculate by using modern, efficient cleaning techniques. Our successful approach is built on understanding the crucial importance of keeping frequently touched areas such as door panels, bannisters, door handles and toilet flushing mechanisms in pristine condition. Furthermore, our colour coding system, using different coloured equipment to clean toilets, classrooms and food areas, ensures that there is no cross-contamination between areas and thus the risk of epidemic outbreaks is minimised.

Laptops and tablet computers are now as widely used as exercise books, and young people are notoriously attached to their smart phones. Because of the frequent contact with our hands and proximity to our faces, germs are easily transferred to and from them. Bacteria can build up on these devices to alarmingly high levels, in the worst cases up to 18 times higher than you might find on a toilet seat.  Using specially formulated cleaning wipes that are designed to clean hi-tech devices without damaging the electronics or screens can help – as can cleaning operatives who have been trained to treat hi-tech equipment carefully.

www.julius-r.co.uk

* Department for Education statistics, published June 2012 as reported on BBC News: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18443770

Published in Cleaning Matters – Oct/Nov 2014