The CDC Modified Its Steerage on Cleansing. This is What That Means for Your Enterprise

If you’ve spent the final year of the pandemic wiping counters excessively and disinfecting surfaces, you may find yourself relaxing a little more.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated their guidelines on cleaning and disinfecting everyday household surfaces on Monday, stating that in most situations with no known exposure to coronavirus, scrubbing soap and water instead of disinfectant sprays and wipes is sufficient becomes . While the virus can land on surfaces, the likelihood of infection is extremely small.

“In most situations, regular cleaning of the surfaces with soap and detergent is sufficient to not necessarily disinfect these surfaces in order to reduce the risk of the spread of Covid-19,” said CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky in a meeting at the White House on Monday.

This news is not shocking. In May 2020, the CDC announced that surfaces are not the primary way the virus spreads. Then, in October 2020, the agency said the virus mainly spreads through the air through lingering droplets exhaled by infected people. While sanitary theater, excessive cleaning, has some psychological benefits, it won’t do much to prevent Covid-19.

“This type of overcleaning is probably what the CDC is trying to prevent,” said Dr. Adrian Popp, an infectious disease specialist at Huntington Hospital, on the new guidelines.

However, this doesn’t mean that you should eliminate your cleaning routine. The CDC recommends cleaning touch-sensitive surfaces at least once a day. You may either want to clean more often or opt for disinfection if your community has high levels of Covid-19 transmission, generally a low number of people wearing masks. The space is occupied by certain population groups, e.g. B. from people at increased risk of serious illnesses from Covid-19.

As always, the CDC guidelines are not mandatory, so companies can generally do whatever works best for their business. Most importantly, however, Dr. Popp states that if you are ever confused about what to do for your specific industry or company, it is best to get a professional opinion.

“Cleaning practices are beneficial for everyone, but especially for the staff and the people who work there, as well as the customers who use the facility. I think they should probably keep going,” says Dr. Popp. “It’s good practice, period.”

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