I've fielded a couple of questions regarding transmitting of the "virus de jour", monkeypox, as to whether our standard janitorial routine of disinfecting office surfaces and touchpoints will likely keep our clients and their staff and visitors safe. Here's some "FAQs" on the critter, from the CDC:
https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/faq.html
Couple of highlights: "Monkeypox spreads in different ways. The virus can spread from person-to-person through direct contact with the infectious rash, scabs, or body fluids. It also can be spread by respiratory secretions during prolonged, face-to-face contact, or during intimate physical contact, such as kissing, cuddling, or sex. In addition, pregnant people can spread the virus to their fetus through the placenta.
"Touching items (such as clothing or linens) that previously touched the infectious rash or body fluids is another way monkeypox spreads. It’s also possible for people to get monkeypox from infected animals, either by being scratched or bitten by the animal or by eating meat or using products from an infected animal.
"People who do not have monkeypox symptoms cannot spread the virus to others."
It turns out to be a really ugly rash, which is present whenever the carrier is infectious. So one would not expect those infected to hang around the office for long (without getting run off).
As far as I can tell, on the off chance that a sufferer with the rash would be touching his infected parts to random office surfaces, our standard nightly Hydrogen Peroxide based touchpoint disinfectant ought to take care of the problem. Except, perhaps, for the above noted "....during intimate physical contact, such as kissing, cuddling, or sex." We have, several times over the years, chanced across the latter activity occurring in an office we're coming in to clean, generally in the wee hours of the morning (and generally to mutual embarrassment). Not much I can do about that.....
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