Member Article

Ebola overshadowing everyday health threats

Everyone needs to be aware of Ebola and how serious its threats are, but are the reports covering the topic really about spreading awareness, or do they only care about embellished headlines? Don’t misunderstand; we know how dangerous and serious Ebola is…in fact, we’re pretty sure the entire world knows it by now. This begs the question of whether the media is continuing to focus on Ebola’s threat for society’s wellbeing, or is this another case of sensationalism aimed to capitalise on the public’s fear of epidemics?

Most media coverage is about turning this threat into self-serving stories that borderline on scare-tactics, with the sole purpose of keeping the audience hungry for more information on the virus’s movement, the optimum word being “movement”. People are in fear of Ebola targeting their home town for the next “wipe-out” because the news is treating this disease like an unavoidable natural disaster.

Raising awareness for Ebola is undoubtedly important, but a major threat here is that it is overshadowing other dangers in our everyday life that are closer to home. They exist in places we visit every day. Schools, workplaces and even our local shops and GPs are under attack from these threats. Bacteria and viruses can hibernate in any of the places we visit and no matter how careful we are, we will continue to be under threat of carrying those germs home if cleaning companies don’t do their job properly.

Because of this, it is imperative to ensure cleaning staff are trained and equipped to do their job right. Most of the bacteria we pick up and pass on come from surface-to-surface contamination and they’re even in the air we breathe. Giving surfaces a wipe down and the floors a quick scrub aren’t enough anymore. You need a team that specialises in deep cleaning and provides on-going maintenance. Bacteria can adapt to be tougher to eliminate if you don’t get it right the first time.

The statement “Ebola isn’t easy to catch” was comforting for a time, yet two nurses who were wearing full protective suits while treating their patients contracted it. However, compare it to other contagious diseases that continually kill thousands and rarely make the headlines, such as the flu, pneumonia or even TB; Ebola as a health threat isn’t what you should be immediately concerned about. But this just goes to show how little we know about how these threats behave. When you think you’ve given that counter a good cleaning, make sure you follow it through with maintenance to keep it that way.

The utilisation of good pH-strips for cleaning is recommended as well as special lighting to view the before and after treatment results. This will ensure that your facilities are cleaned to the safest level and that you haven’t missed any spots. There is no way to fully eliminate these bacteria, but with a good routine of daily cleaning you will be able to reduce illnesses significantly for yourself, and for others around you.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Darren Timon .