Australia is facing a “winter soup” of viruses and infections, with rates of influenza, COVID and whooping cough skyrocketing. Recent figures show a new wave of gastro is also doing the rounds, with the nation recording four times more cases of cryptosporidiosis, a parasitical gastrointestinal disease, so far this year than in all of 2023.

There have been 11,747 cryptosporidiosis cases in 2024 compared with 3716 in 2023. A quarter of all cases are in children under four.

INCLEAN has reported on the whooping cough outbreak and the essential role cleaning plays in keeping infections at bay in primary schools and daycare centres. But educational facilities for every age and stage will benefit from a cleaning routine that targets infection hotspots.

Here are few tips from the experts.

Keeping campus clean

School and university campuses are filled with various germs that cause illnesses. As students mingle, it becomes very easy to transmit illnesses to one another.

Regularly cleaning high-traffic spaces can help minimise the spread of illnesses. This includes outsourcing cleaning professionals who can clean, sanitise, and disinfect shared areas on a routine basis. Utilising proper cleaning tools and chemicals is another way to ensure buildings are properly cleaned without becoming a health hazard.

 Sustainable cleaning products not only benefit the planet and promote sustainable practice on campus, but also help create a safe and clean facility for students to learn.

Maintaining a well-kept campus has also been shown to impact students’ education. Researchers at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, discovered that 88 percent of students find that a lack of cleanliness can distract from their learning experience.

Promote good hand hygiene

One of the quickest ways to spread germs is through your hands. Studies have found that our hands carry, on average, 3200 different germs belonging to more than 150 species. This includes pathogens that cause commonly spread illnesses, such as colds, influenza, and norovirus.

Regular handwashing, when it is done correctly, helps reduce the risk of spreading germs and bacteria. According to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), handwashing can prevent about 30 percent of diarrhoea-related sicknesses and about 20 percent of respiratory infections.

Encourage hand hygiene by placing signage about the importance of handwashing in public restrooms and providing students with on-the-go options, such as hand sanitiser. Although these are simple tactics, they can significantly impact the student illness rate across college campuses.

Embrace hands-off technology 

Implementing touchless technology across campus is an innovative and hands-off way to promote hygienic practices. Installing touchless appliances in school toilets – such as automatic paper towel dispensers, toilet handles and sink taps – can help reduce high-touch surface areas, minimising the spread of germs.

Touch-free toilet appliances also promote sustainability by reducing the number of plastic soap bottles and the need for transportation to  restock inventory. Other campus high-touch surfaces where you can install touch-free technology include door handles in public spaces such as offices, class rooms, libraries and other on-campus buildings.

Training staff

While cleaning and good hygiene design is important, it’s also vital to train teachers and school staff in how to clean and use disinfectants correctly. After all, they are often on the front line of infection! Training might include ensuring they understand the significance of following manufacturers label and guidelines for safety and effectiveness, proper application methods, and how to wear the required personal protective equipment.

Prioritise hygiene

Help students feel reassured that their health and safety is a top priority as they return to campus this semester. Ensure a successful learning experience for everyone by promoting regular hygiene practices and implementing new strategies to reduce the spread of illnesses.

A version of this article was published on CMM Online.

Photo by note thanun on Unsplash.