WetKeys Washable Keyboards Recommends Sealed, Washable Keyboards be Added to WHO's Hand Hygiene Program

The American Journal of Infection Control recently released a progress report of the implementation of the World Health Organization's Hand Hygiene in Health Care Program. According to the organization although there has been progress, hospitals can still improve across the board; WetKeys Washable Keyboards offers solutions to support the improvement of the Hand Hygiene Program.

Waterproof Professional Grade Keyboard with Touchpad "WetKeys has a goal to promote healthier and safer environments for everyone by providing affordable, easy to sanitize products that can be used in a wide variety of industries," stated David Malo, COO for WetKeys

Atlanta, GA (WetKeys) April 23, 2014

The American Journal of Infection Control recently released a progress report of the implementation of the Guidelines on Hand Hygiene in Health Care concluding there is still room for improvement.* WetKeys Washable Keyboards applauds WHO's campaign for better hygiene, but suggests it may not be a health care professional's hands causing the overall hygiene issue to continue. As part of WHO's Clean Care is Safer Care campaign, WetKeys recommends healthcare facilities focus on specific high-touch surfaces within the healthcare environment, such as the computer keyboard and mouse or touchpad and other input devices, in order to decrease the spread of HAIs.

"Hand hygiene as it relates to the healthcare industry is an important issue that can greatly reduce the spread of HAI's. However, infection control and prevention relies on effective cleaning of all the surfaces we touch between washes, especially if those spaces are communal. That can only be accomplished if the keyboard and mouse are fully sealed with a permanent silicone keyboard cover, such as our medical keyboard (KBWKRC87T), so that they can be effectively sanitized before and after each use. At WetKeys, we provide waterproof, washable computer keyboards and mice that give healthcare facilities the ability to thoroughly sterilize as many surfaces as possible," commented David Malo, COO of WetKeys Washable Keyboards.

The Centers for Disease Control issues an environmental cleaning checklist for all healthcare facilities to follow; it covers surfaces from the tray table to the ventilator control panel.** However, a few things missing on that list are computer keyboards, mice, and touchpads that are now a common fixture in every hospital room and patient care area.

According to a recent research study at the University of North Carolina, 25% of hospital keyboards contain the Super Bug - MRSA. Another study by the American Society for Microbiology found MRSA can survive on computer keyboards for up to 6 weeks. Regularly disinfecting these surfaces reduces these numbers and the spread of infection.***

"It's not just relevant to the healthcare industry; it can happen in any environment. Just the other week, one of our web design guys was having issues with his computer, an IT colleague came over to his desk to fix the issue. A day later our web designer came down with pink eye. Turns out the IT guy's son had pink eye the night before he was working on his computer, and the infection spread after both came into contact with the keyboard," continued Malo.

The American Journal of Infection Control recommends cleaning and disinfecting computer equipment used in patient care within a multihospital system. WetKeys Washable Keyboards makes it easier to sanitize any environment by supplying top of the line waterproof and washable keyboards, mice and touchpads.

For more information about WetKeys please visit: WetKeys.com

* http://www.ajicjournal.org/article/S0196-6553(13)01373-4/abstract March 2014
**http://www.cdc.gov/hai/toolkits/evaluating-environmental-cleaning.html
***SealShield.com/White_Papers/infections_computer_keyboards.pdf