June 4, 2021 – Recent research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), presented in the Journal of Infectious Diseases, shows that COVID-19 related control measures, such as social distancing, mask-wearing, surface disinfection, and increased hand hygiene, may be primarily responsible for the 80%+ decrease in norovirus outbreaks around the country.
Control measures – such as mask wearing and social distancing – taken during the pandemic are also suggested to have reduced the incidence of influenza in the United States and other countries, as significant drops in illnesses and deaths in the U.S. have been observed during the pandemic.
Norovirus outbreaks declined by over 80% between April and July of 2020 as compared to the same date range in previous years, according to data reported to the National Outbreak Reporting System (NORS) at the (CDC).
Implementing preventative measures now can help establishments avoid serious consequences later, says GOJO.
Turnkey programs such as the “NOROVIRUS HOT SPOT + COVID-19 Program” from Active Food Safety, in partnership with the PURELL brand, offer a disinfectant combined with a set of procedures and SOPs that a facility can quickly adopt and integrate into their food safety plan.
The principles of the NOROVIRUS HOT SPOT + COVID-19 Program will prepare businesses for the risk of norovirus outbreaks and for other pathogens that could spread on high-touch surfaces as well.
The NOROVIRUS HOT SPOT + COVID-19 Program is based on research that included findings from a comprehensive risk assessment study conducted by the FDA to track norovirus transmission on various surfaces throughout dining establishments. It focuses on ways transmission begins in restaurant restrooms and quickly travels to other hot spot surfaces in the kitchen and dining room.