We may be approaching the end of the year already (yes, really) but it’s worth remembering that, officially, winter hasn’t even started yet. Facility managers, employees, residents, and tenants, along with cleaning staff and the general public, need to ensure they are taking adequate measures to safeguard against a flu season that experts have been warning may be one of the most severe in recent years.
Widespread influenza was virtually non-existent last winter due to lockdowns and public health measures aimed at cutting down COVID-19 cases. Last year, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) reported just 79 lab-confirmed cases of influenza in its 2020-21 season. The year before that, PHAC noted 54,000 cases.
However, a resurgence could be likely over the next two months or so due to far looser health restrictions and the effects that a lack of exposure to standard viruses over the last 12 months has likely had on people’s immune systems.
Already, the World Health Organization has been reporting a clear rise in influenza cases worldwide.
A “twindemic” of flu and COVID-19 was feared last winter but never materialised as a result of that nonexistent typical flu season. However, if the flu comes back with a vengeance this year, it could have dire consequences. Not only are people’s immune systems less resilient after over 18 months of extraordinary levels of protection from transmissible disease, but spikes in both flu and COVID-19 cases could see health facilities and services overwhelmed.
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Brian Sansoni, Senior Vice President at the American Cleaning Institute (ACI), notes gratefully that the 2021-22 flu season has “by and large been manageable” so far, but stressed the importance of nobody – particularly facility managers and cleaning service providers and staff – taking their eyes off the ball.
“As well as getting their COVID-19 and flu vaccines – still a key step in the safeguarding process – as an industry, we must keep providing the constant reminders of the importance of cleaning and good hygiene that have been extraordinarily enforced during the pandemic,” Sansoni tells FC&M. “The increased focus on hygiene continues to be a helpful factor, but it needs to be paired with the right processes and education. We need to be diligent about smart and targeted hygiene, cleaning and disinfecting of no-touch surfaces, and so forth.”
At face value, the signs are good on that front.
A recent ACI survey found that 86 per cent of adults said they will either increase or maintain the heightened cleaning habits they started as a result of the pandemic, while three-quarters of respondents said they are likely to continue key hygiene behaviours over the next few months like proper handwashing, disinfecting high-touch surfaces.
However, Sansoni has one major concern.
As well as an extremely lenient flu season, 2020-21 had the advantage of many people being at home for the majority of their time. However, schools are now back to some form of “normal” in most jurisdictions and, as 2022 begins and stretches on, more and more people will be heading back into the office, to events, or to other facilities outside of the home. That poses the risk of creating a whole new challenge altogether.
“For those responsible for commercial cleaning, that presents a new challenge,” continues Sansoni. “BSCs and cleaners may have been cleaning buildings that only had a couple of offices open, but by spring or summer, those same buildings may have a dozen offices open.”
That is likely to cause a significant amount of trepidation among the general public as people return to offices for the first time in two years, even if they are vaccinated and have good faith that others are too. Sansoni urges the industry to be “resurgent and diligent in our smart cleaning practices and protocols”.
What exactly can facility managers, cleaning companies, and cleaning staff do to help enforce this diligence? While there is no need to panic-clean or over-clean, cleaning well and regularly and transparently is crucial. As well as the obvious – clear signage and reminders, making sure soap dispensers are filled at all times, etc. – Sansoni stresses that communication and training remain integral components.
“If you’re a janitorial service or building operator, it’s in your best interest to communicate that you are undertaking these smart hygiene practices because you care about your people,” emphasizes Sansoni.
“Facility managers and staff can say as many times as they like that people’s safety is their priority, but the proof is in the pudding. The bar has been raised and the little things matter. People want to have confidence that everyone is doing their job and these things are taking place on a daily basis. The presence of more people narrows the margin of error and facility managers, real estate landlords, and cleaning crews all need to be prepared for that.”
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Some measures can be double-edged swords. Sansoni cites the example of “hoteling” workspaces, a process whereby one person is in an office space one day and another is there another day. While that can help to manage the flow and the load, it can also cause nervousness and challenges. But the risk of negative impacts can be mitigated by ensuring disinfection protocols and supplies are ever-present, available, and visible for individuals to use, not just cleaning crews.
For too many years, Sansoni notes, people largely took cleaning, sanitation, hygiene for granted. “Sadly, it took a pandemic to remind people how critical simple, basic practices and use of products are to everyday health, not just due to COVID-19 but to prevent the general spread of infectious disease in all settings. “
Thankfully, that is now on people’s radar more than ever. The pandemic has forever changed how people view cleaning outside the home, and it’s on their mind wherever they are – the office, the supermarket, a restaurant, a transit station.
“These are the things we are doing to keep you clean and safe.’ We can never take cleaning for granted ever again.” “You can never take your foot off the pedal; you can’t afford to get sloppy. There’s no excuse for that now whatsoever,” concludes Sansoni. “It’s a continual education for us all. We’re all in this together.”
