Health experts warn that the 2021-2022 cold and flu season could be a particularly difficult one. Businesses, already dealing with the health and safety of staff and visitors due to spiking COVID-19 cases, must continue to prioritize commercial cleaning in an effort to help reduce these serious health risks.

 

What to Expect From the Upcoming Cold & Flu Season   

Last year, COVID-19 disrupted the usual transmission of the cold and flu with mask mandates, social distancing, school closures, and much of the population working from home. As a result, fewer people developed natural immunity from the flu last season, according to epidemiologists interviewed by CNBC. How that will impact infection rates this year is still uncertain. Though getting vaccinated early in the fall and taking sensible precautions can help prevent flu transmission in the workplace, business owners are wise to take additional measures with regular, professional commercial cleaning services. Coverall® is a leading commercial cleaning service provider with over 8,000 Franchise Business Owners across the country. With 36 years of industry experience, we are fully prepared to tackle the challenges of the 2021-2022 cold and flu season.
 

How Coverall Can Help With Flu Prevention at Work

Though providing cold and flu prevention tips for employees is smart as a matter of routine practice, they only go so far. Not everyone will comply with directives, and most people don’t even know they’ve been exposed until they are laid up in bed. Cold and flu viruses can live on surfaces and infect people for several hours, depending on where they fall. They live longest on hard surfaces, with evidence that flu can infect people for up to 48 hours. Daily commercial cleaning is arguably the best way to help prevent viral transmission and limit the spread of illness. Coverall’s proprietary Core 4® Process is built on CDC and AORN guidelines for cleaning and disinfecting. Coverall Franchise Owners and their cleaning teams receive thorough training in our method and deliver a Health-Based Clean® to businesses of all kinds, including offices, retailers, medical facilities, schools, industrial complexes, and others. Our signature method includes the use of:
 

• EPA-registered cleaning solvents
• Color-coded microfiber cloths
• No-dip flat mops
• HEPA backpack vacuums

 
Following our strict protocol, our Franchise Business Owners use these tools to avoid cross-contamination and ensure that every surface, including high-touch points, is thoroughly disinfected. By eliminating most cold and flu pathogens lingering on surfaces, we help ensure the health, safety, and well-being of everyone who comes to work the following day.

Additional Measures Businesses Can Take to Reduce the Spread of Seasonal Illness

In addition to routine cleaning by trained professionals, the CDC recommends “the use of any licensed, age-appropriate flu vaccine as an option for vaccination this season.” Employees who are sick should stay home. Some business owners allow a more flexible sick leave policy during cold and flu season in the hopes that it will encourage ill workers to stay home without fear of reprisal. It is also wise to consider remote work options for employees caring for sick family members since they have likely also been exposed to the virus. Finally, businesses can also help reduce transmission by providing ample tissues, face masks, touchless trash receptacles, extra hand soap in restrooms, and hand sanitizer throughout the building.

Help Prevent the Spread of Cold & Flu in the Workplace with Coverall

It’s too early to predict how this year’s cold and flu season will play out, but we do know that it’s coming. Now is the time to prepare and help protect the health and safety of your employees when the season inevitably arrives. Call your local Coverall Support Center today, and get a free, easy, no-hassle commercial cleaning quote today.