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At Pinnacle Specialist Cleaning services we have a great deal of experience in dealing with the elimination and prevention of many different viruses in Infection Control Outbreak Situations.
In this area of the site we aim to bring you as much information as possible on the some of the viruses that we believe are the most common in most infection control situations. Please see full details below:
Swine Flu became a pandemic in 2009 before it died down in the spring 2010. The virus was first identified in Mexico in April 2009 and the virus spread quickly from country to country because it was a new type of flu virus that few people had full resistance to. The 2009 Swine Flu virus proved to be relatively mild and only a small number led to serious illness and this was mostly for patients that had their immune system weakened by existing health problems.
Some of the symptoms common with Swine Flu are a fever or high temperature, Unusual tiredness, headache, runny nose, sore throat,shortness of breath, coughs, loss of appetite, aching muscles and diarrhoea and vomiting. The most important ways to prevent swine flu from spreading is to have good respiratory and hand hygiene. This means sneezing into a tissue and quickly putting it in a bin, washing your hands and work surfaces regularly to help kill the virus.
Norovirus often known as the winter vomiting bug is one of the most common stomach bugs in the UK, affecting people of all ages. The virus which is highly contagious causes vomiting and diarrhoea. As there is no specific cure you have to let it run its course, but it should not last more than a couple of days. If you are infected by Norovirus make sure that you drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration and practice good hygiene to help prevent the virus from spreading.Norovirus although unpleasant to experience is not generally dangerous and most people make a full recovery within a couple of days.The symptoms of Norovirus are nausea, forceful vomiting,diarrhoea, a raised temperature, headaches, stomach cramps and aching limbs.
Symptoms of Norovirus usually appear one or two days after you become infected but they can start sooner. To help prevent spreading the virus: Wash your hands thoroughly with soap water, Do not share towels and flannels, disinfect any surfaces with a bleach based cleaner, wash any clothing or bedding that could have become infected with the virus, Wash these items on a hot wash to ensure that the virus is killed, avoid eating raw unwashed produce and flush any vomit or feces in the toilet and clean the surrounding area.
Hepatitis B is an infection of the liver caused by the hepatitis B virus. The virus can cause inflammation of the liver and sometimes significant liver damage. Many people do not even realise that they have been infected with the virus because the typical flu-like symptoms may not develop immediately or even at all. You can become infected with hepatitis b if you are not immune to the virus and you have been exposed to the blood or body fluids of an infected person.
The hepatitis B virus is present in body fluids such as blood, saliva, semen and vaginal fluid. It can be passed from person to person through unprotected sex or by sharing needles to inject drugs. For example, Hepatitis B is 100 times more infectious than HIV. The symptoms of Hepatitis B include: flu like symptoms such as tiredness, general aches and pains, headaches and fever. Other symptoms include loss of appetite, weight loss, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach pains and jaundice.
The Human immunodeficiency virus attacks the bodies immune system. A healthy immune system provides a natural defence against disease and infection. If the immune system is damaged by HIV it increases the risk of developing a serious infection or disease. HIV infects particular cells called CD4 cells that are found in the blood.
CD4 cells are responsible for fighting infection.After they have become infected CD4 cells are destroyed by HIV, although the body will attempt to produce more CD4 cells, their numbers will eventually decline and the immune system will stop working. HIV is spread through the exchange of body fluids. This most commonly happens during unprotected sex. People who inject illegal drugs and share needles are also at risk of catching HIV.
Some of the symptoms of HIV include fever, sore throat, tiredness, joint pain, muscle pain swollen glands and a blotchy rash.
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus. Most people infected with the COVID-19 virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment. Older people, and those with underlying medical problems like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer are more likely to develop serious illness.
COVID-19 ( also known as SARS-CoV-2 ) is one of seven types of coronavirus, including the ones that cause severe diseases like Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and sudden acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). The other coronaviruses cause most of the colds that affect us during the year but aren’t a serious threat for otherwise healthy people.
The best way to prevent and slow down transmission and protect yourself and others from infection by washing your hands or using an alcohol based rub frequently and not touching your face.
The COVID-19 virus spreads primarily through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose when an infected person coughs or sneezes, so it’s important that you also practice respiratory etiquette (for example, by coughing into a flexed elbow).