The right hygiene solutions in the right place at the right time? Maybe in a perfect world.
However, the pandemic has shown us that this is not always achievable. Once the stuff of Hollywood movies, we now find ourselves in the grip of a virus that will likely alter our lives for years to come.
It is a fact that scientists require a great deal of time to combat such viruses. The greater themore knowledge gained about the virus in 2020, the clearer it became that we were going to need to work hard to safeguard ourselves against transmission, with vaccination, masks, social distancing, ventilation, and of course the hygiene rules regarding coughing, sneezing and washing our hands all proving essential.
Hygiene theatre
It also became clear that some measures – including the disinfection of entire streets and squares in Dubai, China and Italy, the use of hydrogen peroxide in the USA and attempts to sterilise floors – were not effective. The term ‘hygiene theatre’ was coined for the use of excessive cleaning measures, leading to a false sense of security.
At worst, this has the opposite effect, making us believe we are safer than we actually are; resulting in more people failing to follow basic hygiene rules as closely (such as social distancing and washing hands).
Sometimes though the element of "theatre" does have a purpose. In South Korea, the authorities have deliberately focused on activities that offer questionable hygiene, but that have a certain symbolic effect: such as spraying public spaces with disinfectants. This helps citizens to at least feel safer, while demonstrating that the authorities are taking action.
Nevertheless: intelligent hygiene measures founded on scientific data – such as those provided by Satino by WEPA – are the more honest and sustainable method, achieving dependable safety without theatrical measures.
