Page 18 - School Planning & Management, November 2017

FACILITIES DON’T TOUCH THAT!
multi-celled microorganisms. Examples include mildews, molds, mushrooms and yeasts. Some fungi cause disease. Fungi can attach to dust particles on solid sur- faces including the floor.
Viruses are vehicles of disease that mutate while reproducing in infected individuals. The mutations are unique in each person, creating illnesses that can be difficult to treat.
Most people are familiar with the names of viruses that infect people. Life threatening bugs include the Human Im- munodeficiency Virus (HIV), Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) and Hepatitis C.
A family of viruses called Noroviruses cause a variety of stomach and intestinal ailments including stomach flu. The Rhi- novirus family causes the common cold.
MRSA Infections Lead to Surgery and even Death
Germs collect in hotspots or frequently touched surfaces that don’t always get disinfected, says Darrel Hicks, author of “Infection Prevention for Dummies,” as mentioned above.
Germ hotspots lead to infection prob- lems such as MRSA (methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus), a staph infection resistant to certain antibiotics.
“This is a big deal in high school, col-
lege and professional sports,” Hicks says. How big a deal is it? Lawrence Tynes
signed on as a kicker with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers professional football team in 2013. He contracted MRSA while at training camp during his first season. He underwent three surgeries and six weeks of antibiotic therapy by way of a central line inserted above his heart. His career ended before it started.
Several high school athletes have died from MRSA infections, and it’s been going on for a while. Back in 2008, for example, an 18-year-old linebacker for Liberty High School in Osceola County (Fla.) contracted a MRSA infection, which at the time was not a top-of-mind diagnosis.
Complaining of back spasms, he went to the hospital on a Friday. They didn’t keep him. They provided him with medica-
tion and sent him home. By Sunday, he
was back in the hospital with a rash and labored breathing that grew worse over
the course of the day. By Monday, nothing could be done, and he died.
Empty Seats Cost School Districts
Too many empty seats can hurt a school district’s finances. For instance, some states have laws that tie school funding to attendance. In those states, high absentee- ism due to germ-borne illnesses can cause funding shortfalls.
“So there is a real budgetary reason why schools need to be clean and healthy – re- imbursement depends on healthy students that come to school every day.
“According to predictions, the 2017-2018 flu season will be tougher than last year,” Hicks says. “An Australian flu is expected to hit North America this year.”
According to a CNN report, this year’s flu season in Australia produced 93,711 laboratory-confirmed cases through Au- gust 18, 2017.
Fifty-two people have died, compared to 27 over the same time period last year. Hospitalizations related to flu in Australia have also doubled, from 719 cases last year to 1,429 cases this year.
Despite these numbers and the predic- tions being made, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the United States’ National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases told CNN, “There’s nothing really unusual about this year except that it’s a high year in Australia.”
Fauci went on to explain that some- times the numbers are high and sometimes they are not. “All the flu-ologists, myself included, say the only thing that you can predict about influenza is that it’s going to be unpredictable,” continued Fauci during his CNN interview.
CLEANING ROBOTS
Cleaning robots are being welcomed into healthcare facilities, today, to help meet the strict maintenance requirements of hospi- tals, clinics, and doctors’ offices. The robots spray disinfectant that covers the floors as well as counters and other raised surfaces.
Can robots help clean schools? Yes and no, says Darrel Hicks, LLC, author of “Infec- tion Prevention for Dummies,” and an ex- pert consultant in the field of cleaning and disinfecting. “I don’t see robots as general cleaning tools,” Hicks says. “I can see their use in disinfecting pre-cleaned surface — if surfaces aren’t pre-cleaned, the disinfectant won’t work properly.
18 SCHOOL PLANNING & MANAGEMENT / NOVEMBER 2017
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PHOTO © ANDREY BURMAKIN