Yes, you do a great job of washing your hands and keeping the work station tidy. But what about that person who works the shift before you or after you?
Didn't you hear someone sneezing or clearing their throat when you took over your spot the other day? What about that computer that you share? Keys a little sticky? Who is cleaning it?
You don't have to be the Jack Nicholson character in "As Good As It Gets" to have your concerns regarding pathogens. Reality is there without being a germaphobe. According to the CDC(Center for Disease Control), 2 of the top 5 five vectors for cross-contamination are the keyboard and mouse. They add that 4% of patients in a hospital acquire an infection. In trying to provide a clean and healthy work place for employees, neglect has never been the culprit. Wet wipes have been tried. Keyboard covers are available. Maybe you even tried a magic wand.
To what degree is the seriousness of Hospital Acquired Infections(HAIs)? On average each year, according to the CDC, more people are killed from them than AIDS, breast cancer, and automobile accidents combined. Medicare used to be set up that if you went to the hospital, for example, for a broken leg and then contracted MRSA, Medicare would pay for both. Not anymore. They will pay for your leg but you can take up MRSA with the hospital. The average HAI costs a hospital $15,000.
As hospitals start employing solutions to kill deadly germs, there is both a push for a cleaner environment and a cost saving element. UV-C has been tested to kill 99.99% of all the pathogens on a surface. Kill the germ and kill the cost associated with it. Plus, learn how to take care of this in a hospital and this will work its way to become a solution at home.
Look at how what NASA developed for space ended up being what we take for granted in our everyday life now. Freeze dry food. Cordless vacuums. LEDs. All started with NASA. Expect the same from what is effective at a hospital to become a benefit to your home life.
So back to that shared keyboard. Yes, it can be self-sanitized. How? With UV-C? And, yes, it started as a solution for hospitals.
Bronco Dahlem is the Senior P.R. Strategist for Vioguard LLC in Kirkland, Washington. The company has multiple patents in the UV-C arena, including the FDA approved self-sanitizing medical keyboard.
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