After weeks of staying home to stop the spread of the Corona virus, we are reaching a point when businesses will begin to open. While my medical office has been fully functioning on telemedicine platforms, we expect to re-open our doors this month. And the question is: how safe is it? And what can I do to protect myself, my staff, and my clients at the office?

We are all aware of the list of cleaning agents that are know to kill bacteria and viruses by now. The FDA has printed a list of registered disinfectants that reliably kill bacteria and viruses from surfaces. Clorox wipes, Lysol cleaner, Purell wipes are just a few of the names. But is that surface cleaning enough?

There are other methods of sterilizing the home and workplace environment. Ozone generators can be used in spaces like hotels or offices, where the space is currently unoccupied. This method has been used for decades for mold remediation, and it is has a 99.75% kill rate for viruses, including the Covid-19. Since Ozone is caustic, it needs to be used in a space that will be unoccupied for at least one day.

For spaces that are already in use, there is another option. Hydroxyl generation is a relatively new technology developed by NASA to effectively sterilize spacecraft during missions without harming the astronauts. It is a process that is safe to use around people, pets, and plants without issue. It is the machine I will be using in my exam rooms in my office, to ensure patients that they are coming to a clean, safe space.

Beyond that, we will check temperatures and the door. We will check for active symptoms, and we will do our best to return to life as we knew it!

Dr. Judi Woolger is a member of the American Academy of Environmental Medicine and a physician at the Agatston Center for Preventive Medicine. For information on telemedicine, contact jwoolger@outlook.com. For information on services with SterileUSA, contact help@sterileUSA.com