One thing nearly all illnesses have in common is that they can be spread by touching contaminated surfaces, from toys, shared supplies, door handles, or other high touch areas.

While extensive disinfection becomes part of the response to widespread illnesses or infections, it is not standard protocol for most campuses. However, there have been increasing number of schools that are taking a more preventive approach. Vineland Public Schools in New Jersey conduct high-level disinfection on a daily basis, versus other area districts that typically only deploy more stringent cleaning protocols after an outbreak occurs.19

However, additional manual cleaning can be a very labor-intensive effort given the number of classrooms, surfaces, and objects within a school. Given the health risks of chemicals, as well as the inability to consistently achieve the necessary disinfection levels, many hospitals and other healthcare settings have begun incorporating additional automated decontamination devices.