Protecting Building Occupants from Exposure Risks to Norovirus and Other Pathogens

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), norovirus is the leading cause of vomiting and diarrhea, and foodborne illness in the United States. The agency also shares the fact that an infection with one type of norovirus may not protect an individual against other types of the virus.

Norovirus is exceptionally contagious and spreads easily and quickly in different ways. CDC warns that one can get norovirus by:

• Having direct contact with someone with norovirus, such as by caring for them, sharing food or eating utensils with them, or eating food handled by them.
• Eating food or drinking liquids that are contaminated with norovirus.
• Touching surfaces or objects contaminated with norovirus and then putting unwashed fingers in one’s mouth.

“Norovirus is contracted through the fecal-oral route. We hope that gives you the heebie jeebies. Hopefully it motivates you and others to practice good hand hygiene and vigilant aseptic techniques. In other words, wash your hands like mamma told you and keep those hands out of your nose and mouth,” said Derrick A. Denis, Disaster Ready Emergency Preparedness and Infection Control (DR EPIC) Program Industrial Hygienist and Senior Vice President for Clark Seif Clark. “In some settings hand washing and careful contact controls are not enough, such as skilled nursing and childcare daycare settings. Fortunately, there are methods to test surfaces and other environmental samples for norovirus to help identify the source of an outbreak, or to help assess the effectiveness of cleaning and disinfection procedures to prevent infections. To help with these efforts, the professionals at CSC are dedicated to identifying and mitigating indoor exposure risks to norovirus and other environmental pathogens with infection control, industrial hygiene, and indoor environmental quality testing, consulting, and training services.”

CSC also recently sponsored an educational video about norovirus and identifying exposure risks that can be seen at: https://youtu.be/jHFBXqtlHtU

To learn more about this or other infection control, industrial hygiene, environmental, health, and safety services, please visit www.csceng.com, email csc@csceng.com, or call (800) 807-1118.

About Clark Seif Clark
CSC was established in 1989 to help clients in both public and private sectors address indoor air quality, occupational, and environmental, health, and safety (EH&S) issues. CSC is a leading provider of these services with multiple offices along the western seaboard and southwest. The company believes in science-based protocols and has a strong background in engineering, making them the preferred environmental consultants to industrial clients, healthcare facilities, architects, schools, builders, contractors, developers, and real estate professionals.

Contact Information

Paul Cochrane

President

Cochrane & Associates, LLC

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