Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 18th April 2024 Issue no. 1110
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Ebola outbreak lifts demand for specialist chlorine based disinfectants
The current outbreak of Ebola in West Africa has seen a sharp increase in demand for specialist chlorine based disinfectant cleaners, according to GV Health, a leading British supplier of chlorine disinfectant cleaners to the NHS.
Record levels of enquiries have been received from healthcare organisations based in West Africa as well as from health authorities and laboratories in other parts of Africa, the Middle East and Asia concerned about possible transmission of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) by those travelling from the affected countries.
The current Ebola outbreak is the largest on record. The main countries affected are Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone where a total of almost 900 people have died so far as a result of the infection. Lebanon and the UAE are the latest countries to announce additional precautions to prevent the virus from entering the country. There is currently no cure for EVD.
Unlike domestic chlorine disinfectants, healthcare grade chlorine disinfectant cleaners are usually supplied in solid tablet or granule form, making them safer and easier to transport and store as well as being more economical. The advanced formulation of GV Health SoChlor offers faster virus 'kill times', broader efficacy, low odour and less residue, making it more attractive to specialist users.
SoChlor is also available in a range of emergency bodily fluids spill cleaning kits and packs. Widely used at the London Olympics, these are particularly useful for transport networks, airports and other locations where bodily fluid spillages may occur and specialist staff are not on hand.
Healthcare workers caring for those infected by EVD are advised by the World Health Organisation to take precautions by wearing appropriate protective clothing including FFP3 face masks and visor or goggles. Contact with bodily fluids must be avoided and spillages contained and neutralised.
SoChlor has been tested to European Standards for the evaluation of virucidal activity of chemical disinfectants and antisceptics used in human medicine (EN14476). SoChlor makes inactivate all viruses in one minute at a dose of 500 ppm (clean conditions) or 1000 ppm (dirty conditions). Used in accordance with directions SoChlor is effective against all strains of the Ebola virus.
7th August 2014