Scientists say an office building could be infected with norovirus within hours. Antispetics gels are effective in preventing an epidemic.
“Hello” in the elevator, conversations around the coffee machine … Office workers share many things. Including their bacteria. Indeed, if we are to believe the work of American researchers presented at the 54th conference organized by the American Society for Microbiology, an entire office building could become infected within two hours.
High speed propagation
Researchers at the University of Arizona used a norovirus-mimicking tracer to contaminate an office phone “After just 2 hours, 40 to 60% of employees were infected with the virus,” the researchers explain. “These results allow us to conclude that we can quickly be contaminated by viruses through common surfaces regularly touched such as tables, doorknobs, elevator buttons, or computers”, underlines Professor Charles Gerba, lead author of the study.
Gastroenteritis
Noroviruses are responsible for acute gastroenteritis in children and adults. Extremely contagious, they are transmitted only from person to person through contact with clothing or objects. These viruses can give rise to real epidemics in public places with large populations, such as homes or hospitals.
However, according to the researchers, there is an effective technique to prevent it from spreading: disinfectant wipes and antiseptic gels made from quaternary ammonium. “An application of this gel on the hands before touching each object prevents the spread of the virus by 80%”, indicate the authors. If you are already used to applying your gel when you take public transport, then consider doing it at your workplace as well.
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