COVID-19 persists, so too cleaning and disinfection.

Vigilance against the continued presence of Coronavirus: A measured perspective.

Cases of Coronavirus in the UK continue to decline and this, alongside other major news stories, has reduced the prominence of the pandemic in many people’s considerations compared to the difficult days of 2020-21. However, according to the Office for National Statistics 1 in 60 people are currently estimated have the virus (at the time of writing, 01.06.2022). That means around 1 million people in the UK may have the virus which approximates to the number of infected people last December. Additionally, variants of the virus have and are emerging and these new forms of Coronavirus will always present the potential for increasing the number of COVID-19 cases after the example of the well known Omicron variant.

Microbiologists sometimes refer to the battle against infectious disease as an ‘arms race.’ Pathogenic microbes and viruses are very good at what they do but we (their unwilling host) can fight back. High quality biosecurity practices and maintenance of basic hygienic practices therefore remain valuable counter-measures to Coronavirus. When and where the virus is evidently in decline in the population is largely due to defeating it by vaccination and hygienic practice. But, the virus has not gone away so the timely, consensus message is for us all to continue the ‘new normal’ cleaning and disinfecting.

The take home message – COVID-19 persists, so too cleaning and disinfection.