Important Information About the Coronavirus

As the coronavirus continues to spread throughout the U.S., the federal and state governments are taking more actions to help curb its spread.  Many businesses like restaurants and schools have been ordered closed and professional sports, concerts, and other live shows have been cancelled or postponed.  It is very important for people to understand the dangers of the coronavirus and take the necessary precautions to protect themselves and their families.

The coronavirus has reached New York City and the surrounding areas which should be a major cause for concern.  This disease has shown the ability to spread quickly from person to person or through community spread which means people should avoid public areas and gatherings of people.  It is also important to have offices, schools, and other commercial buildings cleaned and disinfected to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, especially if these buildings are currently empty.  ServiceMaster Restoration by Complete provides commercial cleaning and disinfectant services to clean and decontaminate commercial and public buildings.

In this guide, we will discuss the coronavirus and how to protect yourself and your workplace from the disease.  For the latest information regarding the coronavirus pandemic, consult the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

You can easily expose to coronavirus since it spreads through person to person

What is the Coronavirus?

Coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, is a previously unknown virus that causes a respiratory infection.  It was first discovered in Wuhan, China and has since spread throughout the world, including many areas of the United States.  It is believed to spread in the following ways:

• Person to person contact through respiratory droplets from sneezing or coughing. Most likely to occur from contact within 6 feet.
• Surface or object to person which occurs when someone touches an affected surface and then touches their eyes, nose, or mouth without washing their hands.
• Community spread in which the virus spreads in a certain area and cases are not traced to direct contact.

The symptoms can appear within 2-14 days of exposure and the severity differs from case to case.  Young people with healthy immune symptoms can be asymptomatic or experience moderate symptoms while the elderly and people with compromised immune systems are at risk for severe symptoms.  The following are the main symptoms of coronavirus:

• Fever of more than 100.4 degrees F
• Cough
• Shortness of breath

Consult the CDC to learn more about coronavirus symptoms.

Because coronavirus spreads through person to person transmission and community spread, it is easy to become exposed.  If you think you have been exposed, you need to take the following steps:

• Self-monitor
  • Carefully monitor yourself for symptoms in the next 2-14 days after becoming exposed.
• Self-quarantine
  • If you are sure you have been exposed or have had contact within 6 feet of someone infected, stay quarantined at home and avoid contact with others for 14 days.
• If symptoms develop
  • Contact a local healthcare professional and tell them where you have been and where you were exposed. These professionals can also help you determine if you should be tested.

Proper hand hygiene can reduce the risk of coronavirus transmission

How to Protect Your Workplace from the Coronavirus

Given the nature of its spread, the coronavirus is most likely to infect people in public places.  It is very important for those in businesses, schools, and other public and commercial buildings to take the following precautionary actions:

Practice Proper Hand Hygiene

• Make sure you wash your hands often for 20 seconds with soap and water. An alcohol-based sanitizer that is at least 60% alcohol is also effective.  Business owners and building managers should encourage their employees to wash their hands and put signage near sinks.
• Building managers and business owners should put no touch dispensers for soap and paper towels in their restrooms if possible and keep a good supply of cleaning products, soap, etc.

Use Proper Respiratory Etiquette

• Proper respiratory etiquette includes using a tissue to cover a cough or sneeze or coughing and sneezing unto your elbow or shoulder. Make sure the tissue you use is immediately thrown in the trash.
• Business owners should provide tissues for their employees.

Clean and Sanitize High Touch Surfaces and Areas

• Within your office or building, clean and disinfect high touch areas and objects each night, including desks, chairs, phones, door handles, countertops, light switches, keyboards, and others. If possible, have disposable disinfectant wipes available for your employees.  Fortunately, the coronavirus is very easy to kill with disinfectants.
• Contact ServiceMaster Restoration by Complete to decontaminate your office or building with our commercial cleaning and disinfectant services.

Stay at Home if You Are Sick

• If you are sick or show any symptoms of coronavirus, make sure you stay home from work and avoid social contact for at least 14 days (see above).
• Business owners should encourage their employees to stay home when sick and consider offering paid sick leave and flexible policies. Allowing employees to work from home is also an option.
• Try to avoid contact with anyone who may be infected and do not touch your eyes, nose and mouth without thoroughly washing your hands.

Travel Safely

• Unless absolutely necessary, cancel or postpone your travel plans.
• If you must travel, consult the traveler’s health notices from the CDC and take the necessary precautions to protect yourself.
• Business owners should encourage their employees not to travel.

If You Have a Family Member with COVID-19

• If you have a member in your family with coronavirus, you should stay home and avoid outside contact.
• Notify your employer if you have an infected family member.

ServiceMaster Restoration by Complete provides complete commercial cleaning and disinfection services

Commercial Cleaning and Disinfectant Services from ServiceMaster Restoration by Complete

The most effective way to protect your office or commercial building from the spread of the coronavirus is with professional commercial cleaning and disinfection services.  We provide complete commercial cleaning and disinfection at ServiceMaster Restoration by Complete to help businesses in Staten Island and Brooklyn, NY and the surrounding areas in New Jersey.  We use powerful EPA-registered cleaning products and disinfectants and our cleaning methods follow the standards of the CDC and World Health Organization (WHO).

Our office cleaning and disinfection services include the following:

• Our technicians will protect themselves using Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
• We will isolate and disinfect high touch surfaces, objects, and areas.
• The entire building will be cleaned and disinfected to kill germs.
• Contaminated materials will be disposed of safely.

The important thing to remember about the coronavirus is that new information is being discovered about it each day.  This disease was unknown before the outbreak so details like the symptoms and the way it spreads may not be fully known.  Make sure you consult the CDC, the WHO, and other resources for the latest information.

If you want to keep your office or commercial building in Staten Island and Brooklyn, NY protected from the coronavirus, call our professionals at ServiceMaster Restoration by Complete for commercial cleaning and disinfection services.  You can reach us at (718) 984-6660 to learn more or to schedule a cleaning appointment.