Combating COVID-19 | The Fight Against The Virus

The onset of COVID-19 has proven to be a stark reminder that no matter how medically advanced we become, the human population will likely always be vulnerable to pathogens, whether viral or bacterial, regardless of the vaccines or treatments that scientists create.

Like all living things, pathogens are constantly evolving, and just because we have subdued the latest infectious disease doesn’t mean another one won’t present itself and spread among the world’s population.

Take that to a local level: if you live or work in any sort of public area, such as an office complex, apartment building, healthcare center, school, or other community resource, it’s crucial to understand how to correctly disinfect both surface areas and the air. Building supervisors who are in charge of cleaning and upkeep need to be familiar with how pathogenic microbes spread and how they can be destroyed.

Understanding Bacteria and Infections

It’s a case of germs vs. infections. The two terms are often used to refer to the same thing, but there is a subtle difference. Bacteria, called germs in everyday slang, are single-celled living organisms in the animal kingdom that can survive on their own in various types of environments (extreme cold and heat, radioactive waste, the human body). Infections, on the other hand, are a collection of particles, not a living thing.

Infections fall into two groups: enveloped and non-enveloped. Enveloped infections are covered by a lipid, or fat layer. Controlling their spread in the environment on surfaces and in air does not require constant chemical disinfection, but rather a measured, direct approach such as a vaccination.

Some examples of enveloped infections are measles, influenza, SARS, and Ebola. Enveloped infections are typically the ones that have made world headlines in recent years due to upsurges that set off pandemics.

Combating COVID-19

Non-enveloped infections do not have that lipid or fat layer. They account for more of the random, daily outbreaks like the common cold. That is why it’s important to pick the right disinfectant and chemical concentration to be sure it’s effective against the particular infection.

Individual germs can be as harmful as full-scale infections. While there are good bacteria that exist naturally in the human body for our benefit, such as the ones in the stomach that help absorb food, the bad bacteria can be difficult and uncomfortable to eliminate. C. diff is notorious for being the hardest to kill, and both it and MRSA tend to be particularly troublesome for healthcare facilities.

How It Spreads: Surface vs. Air

In addition to understanding what you are targeting – germs vs. an infection – you also need to understand how it spreads in order to combat it. Some pathogens spread mainly through the air; these are known as respiratory infections (COVID-19 is currently at the forefront here).

Colds and influenza can survive anywhere from a couple of hours to a few days on surfaces, but we all know how easily they spread through the air – droplets of moisture in the air carry the germs between individuals breathing them.

Medical professionals stress the significance of restricting contact when dealing with respiratory pathogens, especially while we are still battling COVID-19. Cleaning personnel need to be trained to clean a surface first, then disinfect it.

Combating COVID-19 The Fight Against The Virus

Why does the order of these tasks matter? You have to clean first because it physically removes dirt and other barriers that might be hiding or shielding the bacteria from the subsequent task, disinfecting. The disinfectant is what actually kills them.

However, if dirt or other matter is still present when you disinfect, it might prevent the chemical from doing its job, and then the bacteria are still alive on the surface and doing their job. Lingering dirt on the surface can also contribute to the growth of new bacteria if the area has only been disinfected, and not actually cleaned.

Understanding how infections spread and persist is an important factor in combating COVID-19. Not all disinfectants kill all types of infections. Approaching infections such as COVID-19 with the right chemical or medicinal weapon (depending on whether we are talking about treating surfaces or treating humans) is the only method to ensure our survival against such a microscopic but mighty opponent.