CMM Weekly News Recap-January 24, 2020

This week contained plenty of news to keep bio-risk specialists interested. The top story was the spread of the Chinese coronavirus, 2019-nCOV, to the United States. Although only one person living in the United States, a man from the Seattle area who traveled to Wuhan, China, where the corona virus originated, has been infected  so far, authorities with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and  U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Customs and Border Protection (CBP) are taking no chances. They are screening airline passengers from Wuhan landing in the United States at five airports.

The Global Biorisk Advisory Council’s exercise disinfecting a school fitness room proved very realistic. A new study looked at ways to improve the hygiene in athletic training rooms at high schools and colleges as more than 40% surfaces in these rooms have been found to be contaminated with Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Researchers piloted an infection control program at two high schools and two colleges in Northeast Ohio, placing hand sanitizer and surface disinfectant spray in strategic locations around the training rooms. Then they instructed students and coaches when and how to use the products. The scientists found that simply having the products available for the room occupants resulted in a more than 60% reduction of all types of bacteria.

Fitness centers and athletic training rooms aren’t the only areas in need of a thorough cleaning and disinfection. You home can be the source of many pathogens, so it is a worthwhile use of your time to clean it. How much time? A poll found that  you most likely will spend more than 100 full days of your lifetime doing household chores. The survey found people living in Hawaii spend the most time cleaning at 138 days while residents of Minnesota spend the least time at 122 days. Based on poll responses that most people estimate they spend half an hour per week vacuuming and the same amount the time cleaning the bathroom, that means they will spend the equivalent of between 61 and 69 days vacuuming and scrubbing the toilet before they die.

Keep cleaning and disinfecting your home and workplace so you stay healthy this weekend and we’ll be back with more news on Monday.