COVID-19 literally stopped our normal daily lives. So it is very safe to say that nobody wants that to happen again.
In this blog, we will explore the question ‘Is COVID-19 still a threat in schools? What hygiene standards look like today’.
Sentrex Services stands as a leading provider of comprehensive cleaning and hygiene solutions, serving a vast region from the Northwest to the Southeast of England. With a dedicated team of over 600 professionals, we deliver bespoke cleaning services tailored to the unique needs of each commercial client.
Why does infection control still matter?
Ongoing infection control in UK schools, even post-COVID, remains crucial for multiple reasons that directly impact the learning environment, student well-being, and broader public health. Here’s what you should know:
Minimising disruption to learning:
When illness spreads through a school, it leads to significant student and staff absenteeism. This directly disrupts learning, requiring catch-up work and potentially impacting academic progress.
By the same token, healthy staff are essential for effective teaching and school operations. High staff absence due to illness can lead to closures, reliance on supply staff, and a decline in educational quality.
Protecting vulnerable students and staff:
Schools are diverse environments, including children who are otherwise more susceptible to severe illness from common infections. Robust infection control creates a safer environment for these individuals.
Preventing the spread of common infectious diseases:
Beyond pandemics, schools are natural breeding grounds for various pathogens. Ongoing hygiene practices, like frequent handwashing and improved cleaning, are highly effective against multiple viruses/infections.
Promoting healthy habits:
Schools play a critical role in educating children about personal hygiene. By consistently enforcing good practices, schools instil habits that benefit children throughout their lives and help reduce community transmission.
Preparation for future health threats:
The lessons from COVID-19 underscored the importance of readiness. Maintaining high standards of hygiene, good ventilation, and effective communication channels ensures that schools are better prepared to respond swiftly and effectively if another novel infectious disease emerges. It builds a resilient system.
Building parent and community confidence:
Parents need to feel confident that schools are safe environments for their children. Transparent and effective infection control measures reassure parents, contributing to higher attendance and trust in the school’s commitment to student well-being.
Is COVID-19 still a threat in schools? Has it changed hygiene standards in schools?
Unfortunately, like many illnesses and bugs, COVID-19 is still a threat in schools, although it is nowhere near as much of a threat as it was during the pandemic period. That being said, schools can likely have a higher risk of harbouring the virus due to:
- Individual hygiene of students may be poor, meaning they can harbour more bacteria and possible viruses. If this lack of hygiene is evident with many students, it can amplify the speed of bacteria spreading in and amongst the school.
- If there is a lack of disinfection and cleaning in every room/space, it can lead to these certain areas harbouring harmful bacteria and more.
- The high confluence of students, visitors, and teachers/assistants, all tracking in dirt or bacteria from however/wherever they came from, contributes to a higher amount of dirt and germs entering too.
Are there any laws introduced for cleanliness in schools post COVID-19?
No, there is no new legal framework made specifically about schools and their hygiene standards post COVID-19. However, most if not all schools have made the following changes to help to prevent instances of a viral outbreak within the school:
Here’s a summary of how UK schools have changed in terms of hygiene after COVID-19:
Elevated hand hygiene:
This is perhaps the most enduring change. Schools continue to emphasise and facilitate:
- Regular and thorough handwashing with soap and water for 20 seconds remains a key message, particularly on arrival, before and after eating, and after coughing/sneezing.
- Hand hygiene stations are often more prominent at entrances, exits, and in communal areas.
- Reinforcing the importance of hand hygiene through education and encouragement.
Enhanced cleaning regimes:
- Schools maintain more frequent cleaning schedules, with a particular focus on high-touch surfaces (door handles, light switches, desks, shared equipment, toilet facilities). This is often done at least twice a day.
- There’s a greater understanding of the difference between cleaning (removing dirt) and disinfection (killing pathogens). Schools are encouraged to use appropriate virucidal products (like diluted bleach or alcohol-based disinfectants) that conform to standards like EN 14476.
- Increased awareness among cleaning staff about effective disinfection techniques and the use of appropriate PPE wherever necessary.
Improved ventilation:
- Schools are now acutely aware of the importance of good ventilation to reduce the spread of airborne viruses.
- Many state-funded schools have been provided with CO2 monitors to help staff identify poorly ventilated areas and take steps to improve airflow (e.g., opening windows and doors, adjusting mechanical ventilation systems).
- Efforts are made to balance the need for increased ventilation with maintaining a comfortable teaching environment, sometimes by allowing pupils to dress more warmly.
- In areas where adequate natural ventilation isn’t possible, air cleaning units may be used as a supplementary measure.
Respiratory hygiene:
The campaign ‘Catch it, bin it, kill it’ encourages individuals to cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue, dispose of it immediately, and then wash their hands. It remains highly relevant and promoted in schools.
Illness protocols:
- While specific COVID-19 testing and isolation rules have largely been relaxed, schools continue to advise children and staff who are unwell and have a high temperature to stay home. There’s an ongoing emphasis on preventing the spread of all infectious diseases, not just COVID-19.
What can schools do to prevent viral outbreaks?
Although the aforementioned points above are more than enough to prevent outbreaks, one key investment would be to using the services of a professional cleaning service like Sentrex.
Sentrex provides stellar, thorough and reliable cleaning services for many industries, including schools. Regardless of the size and cleaning needs you have, we can arrange it.
Offloading your cleaning needs to a separate service like piece of mind that specially trained experts with years of experience with specific equipment and techniques are cleaning to the best standards.
As a result of such services, the likelihood of illnesses starting from the school itself, including COVID-19, will be greatly reduced.
Cleaning services for schools
Protect your members, your staff, and your reputation. Contact Sentrex for expert gym and leisure centre cleaning solutions that meet the highest hygiene standards.
At Sentrex, we prioritise commercial, industrial, and specialist cleaning services. Our services aren’t just a standard once-over, we ensure a comprehensive and individually tailored approach perfect for any site.
Here is a list of the cleaning services we provide:
- Chemical degreasing
- Steam cleaning
- Pressure washing
- Power-scrubbing
- Auto-scrubbing
- Stain and spill removal
- Debris and dust removal
- Power-scraping
- Sanding, and shot-blasting
- Vacuuming
- High-speed burnishing
- Spray buffing, waxing, and stripping
- Low moisture bonnet cleaning
- Deep extraction
- Commercial carpet cleaning
- Trash clean up
- Window cleaning
- Exterior cleaning
- Cleaning of washrooms
- Deep cleaning
In this blog, we’ve hoped to have answered the question ‘Is COVID-19 still a threat in schools? What hygiene standards look like today.’ Whilst also providing supplementary information about the benefits of our professional services.
Our commitment to fair pricing, environmental sustainability, and personalised service sets us apart. We prioritise quality through rigorous control measures, including monthly audits with advanced software, real-time management via iPads, and an automated time and attendance system.
As members of esteemed trade bodies, we adhere to the highest industry standards. Beyond core cleaning, we offer a full suite of soft and hard FM services, ensuring comprehensive building maintenance. Want to know if our services apply to your business or site? Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us to secure a superior clean.
