In a modern office environment, health and efficiency are inextricably linked, making antibacterial office supplies increasingly a popular choice. However, a perception that the use of anti-bacterial office supplies in offices prevents the spread of all infectious diseases is a misleading idea that requires us to re-examine from a scientific perspective.
Antibacterial office supplies cover a wide range of products, such as antibacterial keyboards, mouse, desktop set-up, file collection boxes, etc., which usually inhibit the growth and reproduction of bacteria, fungus and other microorganisms by adding antibacterial agents. In the case of antibacterial keyboards, antibacterial coatings on their surfaces reduce the number of bacteria reached by the user ‘ s hand, reduce the risk of infection due to the frequent use of office supplies and provide some level of security for office hygiene.
But to be clear, they are by no means “one-size-fits-all keys” to preventing the spread of all infectious diseases. First, the spread of infectious diseases is complex and diverse, far beyond the role of anti-bacterial office supplies. Many respiratory infectious diseases, such as flu, new coronary virus infections, are transmitted mainly through foam, which spreads rapidly in the air when colleagues cough and sneeze in the office, and these viruses can easily bypass antibacterial office supplies, enter the other colleagues ‘ respiratory tracts and cause infection. In addition, some infectious diseases can be transmitted via faeces-mouth, and if the public areas of the office, such as bathrooms, are not properly cleaned, even if anti-bacterial office supplies are used, it will not prevent employees from contracting the disease through exposure to contaminated environments.
Secondly, the Office is a densely populated, frequent-flowing site where new strains can be brought in at any time. Employees may bring back to their offices, from outside the public transport and public places, diseases that are not only attached to office supplies but also in the air, clothing, personal effects, etc. Antibacterial office supplies can only act as a deterrent to micro-organisms on their own surfaces, making it difficult to create a comprehensive and effective barrier to the flow of in-house bacterial inputs.
Furthermore, the antibacterial effects of antibacterial office supplies are not permanent and absolutely reliable. As time of use increases and daily wear and tear, antibacterials gradually fail and their ability to contain the fungi decreases. Furthermore, the sensitivity of different strains to various types of antibacterial agents varies, and some antibacterial strains may not be effectively inhibited by antibacterial office supplies, thus continuing to spread in the office environment and threatening the health of staff. For example, the methooxysilincin-yellow fungus (MRSA) is more resistant to drugs and may survive and spread to other users on antibacterial office supplies.
Overdependence on anti-bacterial office supplies may also lead office staff to ignore other important infectious disease prevention and control measures. For example, maintaining good ventilation conditions in the office area, which can effectively dilute the concentration of bacteria in the air and reduce the risk of infectious disease transmission; regular and comprehensive clean-up of the office, including high-frequency areas of exposure such as ground, desktop and doorknob, can directly reduce the growth and survival of the disease; and encouraging staff to develop good personal hygiene practices, such as hand-washing, sneezing while coughing and sneezing, is also essential to preventing the spread of infectious diseases.
The Office ‘ s use of anti-bacterial office supplies has contributed to some extent to improving the health of offices and reducing the prevalence of some infectious diseases, but it is unrealistic to claim that all infectious diseases can be prevented. We should develop the right idea of using anti-bacterial office supplies as an aid to office health protection, together with comprehensive, scientific measures to prevent and control infectious diseases, to create a healthy and safe office environment and to guarantee the efficiency and health of employees.
