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As we head into the winter months we all need to play our part in keeping everybody safe and healthy. A less known but extremely effective way of doing this is to invest in antimicrobial products, which prevent viruses and bacteria building up on commonly touched surfaces, including light switches and sockets.
Upon entering the first lockdown in March, there was a 203% rise in people searching for ‘antimicrobial products’, compared to the month before. While searches have steadily dropped off over the last few months, the demand for these products remains high.
Alex Baker, head of operations at electrical wholesaler ERF, discusses the different types of antimicrobial products which are available on the market and how they help to stop the build-up of bacteria and diseases.
Antimicrobial products kill or slow the spread of viruses, diseases and bacteria. They work at a cellular level to continually disrupt and prevent the growth of microorganisms.
By creating an inhospitable environment for bacteria and viruses, antimicrobials form a protection around surfaces people regularly touch.
At a time when reducing the pressure on the NHS is of critical importance, we all need to play our part in keeping virus and bacteria transmissions to a minimum and this is exactly what antimicrobial products can help with.
While it is not yet known just how effectively antimicrobial products can reduce the spread of coronavirus, what is clear is that they certainly help to slow the spread of a whole range of other diseases and viruses.
Kill rates of 99.9 per cent have been achieved across four types of the strains of bacteria MRSA, E-Coli, Salmonella, Klebsiella, Pneumonia and enveloped viruses, offering a high protection level to those who touch these surfaces.
Being two of the most commonly touched surfaces, it is unsurprising antimicrobial sockets and switches are extremely popular. They are made from treated plastic that contains silver ions which act as a barrier stopping microorganisms from growing and spreading.
While in most antimicrobial products the protection is offered as an additional coating over the original materials, in switches and sockets this is inbuilt.
Although installing antimicrobial products may seem like an extreme investment, as day to day life begins to return to a new normal over the coming year, their importance will only grow.
Even with the coronavirus vaccine being rolled out, as more people begin to socialise together, the risk of viruses and diseases spreading will only increase. As a result, now is a great time to get ahead of the competition and help protect us all.