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Increasing Risk of Norovirus and Covid in Care Homes in Winter

Written by The Ozofresh Team

Date Published: Thursday October 3, 2024
Est. Reading: 5 minutes
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As the winter months approach, care homes across the UK face a heightened risk of outbreaks from viruses such as norovirus and COVID-19.

As we all know, the enclosed environment of a care facility, where residents live in close quarters, create ideal conditions for the rapid spread of infectious diseases. The combination of colder weather, which drives people indoors, and the weakened immune systems of elderly residents, makes care homes particularly vulnerable. If you add in to this the pressure the NHS is currently under and the rapidly mutating Covid strains, it all adds up to a potentially difficult winter.

 

Care Homes are Vulnerable to Viral Outbreaks

If you are reading this article, you probably already work in the care sector. In which case, you will be aware of not only the damage caused by a viral outbreak but the difficulty faced by the teams trying to prevent them. Short of total lockdowns, there is very little you can do to stop a virus getting into your facility. People come and go, and they bring the infection with them.

The real issue is that the care environment is almost perfectly suited to transmission.

  • Care homes are centred on shared living spaces, communal dining areas, and frequent interactions between residents, staff, and visitors. This close contact creates opportunities for viruses like COVID-19 and norovirus to spread rapidly.
  • Many residents in care homes are elderly, often with chronic illnesses or weakened immune systems, making them more susceptible to contracting infections.
  • Care home staff, who interact with residents daily, can unknowingly introduce viruses from the outside, particularly if they live in communities with higher infection rates.
  • They are warm, which means closed windows. As a result, the air quality diminishes easily. As we learned during covid air flow is vital but when the weather turns, opening the windows is not an option.
  • Frequent use of chemical perfumes and cleaning agents can also cover the declining quality of the air. That means staff teams may well be unaware of the deterioration of the condition of the air.

Sadly, as care workers will tell you, a vulnerable elderly resident with even a mild case of something like Norovirus, is at risk due to their weakened physical condition.

Let’s take a quick look at the two most problematic viral infections.

COVID-19, although no longer causing the same level of disruption as during the pandemic's peak, continues to pose a risk. The Omicron variant and its subvariants are highly transmissible, and even with high vaccination rates among the elderly, care homes remain vulnerable. While vaccines have helped reduce the severity of infections, outbreaks still result in illness, increased staff absenteeism, and the need for lockdowns within care homes.

Norovirus, often referred to as the "winter vomiting bug", is also highly contagious and spreads through contaminated surfaces, food, and direct contact. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhoea, and stomach cramps, which can be particularly severe in older adults. Data from the NHS suggests that outbreaks of norovirus lead to increased hospitalisations among care home residents each winter.

Norovirus is an annual visitor and, once it takes hold, it spreads rapidly. According to The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, there has already been a marked increase in unseasonal Norovirus infections this year.

‘… the reported rise in norovirus cases has also been seen in adults aged 65 years and over, and more outbreaks have been reported in health and social care settings, which are prone to outbreaks of norovirus as transmission can be higher.’

While there is no crystal ball for infections, it’s probably fair to say the chances of these outbreaks repeating in the Winter months are very high. Even if levels only remain the same as last year, outside pressures such as the availability of doctors and hospital beds make prevention the sensible precaution.

As to the other usual suspect, Covid-19, it is behaving in the expected pattern and mutating rapidly. The latest variant, XEC, does seem to have its effects reduced somewhat by vaccination, but it also seems to have a longer recovery period. At the moment, it is still too early to estimate the full impact but we know it is there, and it is looking like it will be taking a dominant position this winter.

It seems common sense that both of these unwanted visitors are going to take advantage of the coming cold months, and that usually means issues with

  • staff absences
  • sick residents
  • increased pressure to maintain
  • short term lockdowns
  • the refusal of new residents
  • reduced income and increased costs

A virus outbreak is a care home environment is a danger to the health of all and even the lives of vulnerable people, as well as a strain on resources and a reduction in vital income from new residents.

The Role of Ozone in Reducing Virus Transmission

If there is no way of preventing the virus from entering your facility short of a lockdown so the only option is control.

While standard hygiene practices such as handwashing, regular surface cleaning, and the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) are critical in reducing viral transmission, additional technologies can help prevent outbreaks, by destroying the virus, and inhibit spread by improving air quality. One such technology is ozone generation.

Ozone (O₃) is a powerful oxidising agent that can eliminate a wide range of pathogens, including bacteria and viruses, by destroying their cell walls and genetic material. Research supports that ozone can be effective in inactivating airborne and surface-bound viruses, including coronaviruses. In addition to working to improve the air quality and remove odours, it will combine with regular cleaning efforts to sanitise areas that are difficult to clean manually. Ozone will significantly reduce up to 99% of all known covid and Norovirus variants, as well as bacteria, and fungal spores in or on:

  • surfaces
  • air vents
  • upholstery
  • curtains, blinds and carpets
  • airborne

So, while you cannot prevent the virus from getting in, you can go a long way to stop it from spreading.

Ozone generators such as our Eclipse Pro range, can be used to ‘shock treat’ a vacant room and judicious use of air purification devices, such as our Aurabeat vertical, Aura and PlugIn, can help maintain a higher level of indoor air quality by neutralising pathogens before they can infect residents or staff. This can be particularly beneficial during winter when ventilation is naturally reduced.

By improving the overall air quality, you can reduce the likelihood of an outbreak taking hold and spreading through the care home population.

 

The Small Investment for a Long Term Benefit

We have worked with Care Homes for over a decade to provide odour control and sanitisation equipment. When used as part of their overall protection process, they repeatedly tell us that ozone and air purification can have a significant impact on infection levels and staff sickness.

The winter season brings a higher risk of infectious diseases in care homes, particularly norovirus and COVID-19. The closed environment, combined with vulnerable populations, makes it essential to adopt stringent hygiene practices and explore new technologies to mitigate the risks. Ozone generation technology, such as the products offered by Ozofresh, represents a promising solution in the fight against viral transmission.

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Watchman (Ozone) Limited is a company registered in England and Wales with company number 07694084
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