How Will the COVID-19 Delta Variant Affect My Business?

As the COVID-19 Delta variant continues to spread throughout communities in the United States and throughout the world at large, ServiceMaster Clean wants to continue to be your partner in keeping your business as healthy and safe as possible. While we may not know how or for how long the strain will impact the day-to-day of your business, we do know that there are ways to continue to protect yourself, your employees, and your customers.

By understanding the severity of the Delta variant and taking the proper precautions to avoid transmission, we can protect each other from continued spread and avoid further impacts to businesses.

Why is the Delta Variant More Dangerous?

The COVID-19 Delta variant is currently the predominant strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Delta variant is significantly more infectious than previous strains of the coronavirus. It may cause more than two times as many infections as previous strains of COVID-19 as it is more easily transmitted from infected individuals to others.

Unfortunately, recent data suggests that this variant may even cause more serious side effects and illness than previous strains, specifically among unvaccinated individuals. Because there is still a large percentage of Americans who are unvaccinated, those individuals are left extremely vulnerable in contracting and fighting this particular strain of the virus. Thus far, virtually all hospitalizations and deaths have been among the unvaccinated.

While COVID-19 vaccinations are effective at protecting individuals from getting sick, the CDC still recommends vaccinated individuals wear a mask indoors in public—especially if you are in an area of substantial or high transmission. Fully vaccinated people can still spread the virus to others, but seem to be infectious for a shorter period of time.

We will continue to monitor COVID-19 and the Delta variant of the virus as the CDC releases more information. Additionally, we will proactively monitor other possible variants that may be of concern to do everything possible to ensure that your business continues to operate in a healthy environment.

How to Protect Your Business From a COVID-19 Delta Outbreak

The best way you can protect your business from a COVID-19 Delta outbreak is to be as proactive as possible. Given what we know today about the Delta variant, there are a series of steps you can take to ensure that your business is prepared and doing everything possible to mitigate potential outbreaks. These include:

• Asking customers and staff to wear a mask. The CDC recommends wearing masks indoors to help stop transmission. Where permitted, implementing and/or encouraging mask mandates in the workplace can provide greater protection for yourself, your employees, and customers.
• Setting up a sanitation station when entering a business or workplace can be an effective way to encourage a clean environment. For example, providing face masks for those without, hand sanitizer to eliminate bacteria, and thermometers to ensure no one on-site is unknowingly running a fever.
• Encouraging employees to get the vaccine. The Delta variant causes more severe side effects among the unvaccinated population. Encouraging individuals who are eligible to get the vaccine can help protect their health while also helping others who may be at risk or are unable to get the vaccine.
• Encourage employees who feel sick to stay at home or work remotely. Unvaccinated people who have been exposed or come in close contact to someone infected with COVID-19 are encouraged to quarantine for 14 days. Fully vaccinated people who have come into close contact with someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 are to be tested 3-5 days after exposure in addition to wearing a face mask indoors for 2 weeks until they receive a negative test result.
• Disinfect high-touch surfaces. Regularly cleaning and disinfecting high-touch surfaces will help reduce the likelihood of the virus spreading throughout your facility. These surfaces will vary from facility to facility, but usually include:
   
  • Light switches
  • Doorknobs
  • Faucet handles
  • Refrigerator door handles
  • Handrails
  • Tables
  • Counters
  • Shared computer keyboards or touch screens
  • Work tools that may get shared from person to person
  • Surfaces that come into contact with customers, such as gym equipment, or furniture in a dining or waiting room
     
• Hire commercial cleaning experts. In addition to mask use and vaccinations, you can also schedule regular commercial cleaning services specific to COVID-19 prevention. These cleaning and disinfection services will help you better maintain a clean and healthy environment no matter if you work in healthcare, education, offices, or industrial environments.

By establishing and keeping open communications and policies, you will be able to better empower your employees to make smart decisions that positively impact those they work with and serve.

ServiceMaster Clean Is Here to Help

We care about your business and the people within it. While you can continue to operate in the rapidly changing COVID-19 environment, ServiceMaster Clean can help your business stay clean and operate in a healthy environment by providing commercial cleaning services for your business.

Our nationwide network of cleaning experts has been staying up to date on the guidelines from regulators including the CDC and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). By following the lastest guidance from public health agencies, we train our team on infection control best practices to provide effective cleaning and disinfection services against COVID-19.

Find your nearest ServiceMaster Clean location or call 844.325.0707 to get started.