Health and safety have always been priorities in medical facilities, but the COVID-19 pandemic has further increased the need for strong sanitation practices. One effective way to reduce the spread of viruses and bacteria is to apply antimicrobial paint in your facility. Some commercial painters offer antimicrobial products that can help you keep patients, residents, and staff safe during this health crisis.

The Importance of Health Precautions in Medical Settings

Medical facilities in Virginia Beach have strict regulations in place to minimize the spread of viruses. Because so many employees, patients, and visitors come in and out of these facilities, illness can spread quickly from person to person if there aren’t any precautionary measures. Patients who have other medical problems may be more susceptible to catching a sickness or experiencing complications from a sickness, so a virus outbreak in a hospital or other medical setting can have devastating results.

Around 10 percent of patients in the hospital will contract an additional illness when they make contact with contaminated surfaces or medical equipment. Thousands of people die every year after contracting an illness in a medical facility.

Protecting against viruses is especially important in skilled nursing facilities. Older adults tend to have weaker immune systems, which puts them at an increased risk of getting sick. If they have other medical conditions, it may be harder for their bodies to fight off the virus, so a minor illness can quickly escalate into a serious health problem.

Older adults in skilled nursing facilities also spend most of their time indoors, and viruses spread much more easily inside. The airflow outdoors can disrupt the spread of an illness, but pathogens tend to linger in the air when indoors.

What Is Antimicrobial Paint?

Antimicrobial coatings contain additives that make the paint resistant to viruses, bacteria, and fungi. If pathogens come into contact with the surface, the paint will prevent them from spreading.

Some brands also offer microbicidal paint, which is even more powerful. Not only does the paint reduce the spread of pathogens, but it can actively destroy most germs that make contact with it.

The most popular microbicidal paint is Sherwin-Williams Paint Shield, which kills 99.9 percent of bacteria. The active ingredient in Paint Shield is a quaternary ammonium compound that kills the following bacteria:

• Staph
• MRSA
• E. coli
• VRE
• Enterobacter aerogenes

According to Sherwin-Williams, their Paint Shield products kill bacteria within two hours of contact. The paint’s microbicidal properties can last for four years, but adding extra coats occasionally will maximize the product’s effectiveness.

For a product to be marketed as microbicidal, it has to be registered with the EPA. Paint Shield and similar products have gone through rigorous testing to prove their antibacterial qualities.

Paint Shield was introduced to the market in 2015. In the years since, many senior living facilities in Virginia and throughout the rest of the U.S. have started using antimicrobial coatings. Several major paint companies have increased their efforts to develop effective antimicrobial products, and the FDA has been exploring it as well.

Microbicidal paint won’t completely stop a virus outbreak or kill all the bacteria in a room. However, it can be an excellent addition to a comprehensive cleaning and disinfecting routine. It can slow down the spread of contagious illnesses, which is critical in high-risk locations like skilled nursing facilities.

Microbicidal paint is especially beneficial on high-touch areas like door frames or the space surrounding light switches and power outlets. When multiple people repeatedly touch the same area of the wall, it’s very easy for pathogens to spread from person to person.

Other Benefits of Antimicrobial Paint

Although the primary purpose of antimicrobial coatings is to fight off viruses and bacteria, the paint also offers some other benefits. Most microbicidal paints are resistant to mold and mildew, so they help to prevent unsightly fungus from forming on the walls. Mold is very common in high-moisture environments like bathrooms and laundry rooms, so microbicidal paint can be a valuable investment for those areas.

Antimicrobial additives can also extend the shelf-life of the paint. Most paint won’t last long after you open the container, but microbicidal paint stays usable for longer because it’s resistant to mold and bacteria.

Where to Apply Microbicidal Paint

Your commercial painters can apply the antimicrobial coatings on virtually any wall in your medical facility. If you don’t want to repaint the entire building, here are some of the most important areas to focus on:

Medication Storage Areas

Skilled nursing facilities usually have a designated storage area for residents’ medications. Keeping these medicines safe and clean is essential, which means the storage room must be kept safe and clean, too. You can add microbicidal paint to the walls, cabinet doors, countertops, and other surfaces to reduce the risk of contamination.

Food Preparation Areas

Staph and E. coli are two of the most common causes of food poisoning, and these pathogens can be particularly dangerous for older adults. Even the smallest amount of bacteria can lead to severe medical symptoms, so applying Paint Shield products to kitchen surfaces is a worthwhile precaution.

Staff Break Room

Employees may be more lax about health precautions while they’re on their break and away from the facility’s residents. Pathogens in the break room can quickly travel to the rest of the facility, though. Microbicidal paint can help keep the break room clean, which protects both your staff and your residents.

Antimicrobial coatings are a great way to sanitize walls, doors, cabinets, and other surfaces. The COVID-19 pandemic has been a major concern for hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and other medical settings with vulnerable populations, and any steps you can take to slow the spread of the virus will help. Applying microbicidal paint is a safe and effective way to protect yourself, your staff, and your patients.

Painting in a medical facility can be a time-consuming and complicated project, but commercial painters have the skills and equipment to get the job done in no time. Hughes Painting offers microbicidal painting services for medical facilities in Virginia Beach VA. To learn more about the commercial painting process, call us today.