Prior to Covid, janitorial staff in healthcare settings were generally undervalued and lacked appreciation for the skilled labor they provided on a day to day basis.   One thing the pandemic taught the healthcare community is the janitorial staff are not only the first step to infection control and the prevention of the spread of the virus, but they also became the unsung heroes of the pandemic.

In the height of the pandemic, we were inundated with horrible stories of death and the continuous spread of Covid.  What we did not hear enough of was the good work being done by janitors and their positive impact on minimizing the exposure to Covid in their respective environments.   For example, in the facility in which I work, our patients receive long term hospital level care and have extremely compromised immune systems.  This setting and their health issues combined with the pandemic could have been a recipe for disaster.  The janitors truly picked up their games during the pandemic.  Their attention to detail and dedication to the well being of the patients as well as staff was a key factor to how this hospital successfully endured during the pandemic with minimal outbreaks among staff and patients and where we had zero Covid related fatalities.

Janitorial staffs world-wide were on a learning curve of to how to improve cleaning and disinfecting all while attempting to prevent the spread of Covid.  They not only had less resources available as disinfectants and sanitizing agents were in short supply, but they also had to learn how to use new technologies and chemicals as the pandemic continued.   Janitors had more responsibilities, worked longer hours, and many had to over come staffing shortages.  With that being said, to work in this field the last few years has been challenging.  However, seeing the results of the work the janitors in this facility, it validates that without excellent attention to cleaning, disinfection, and an understanding of how to properly and safely care for a facility of this nature, this facility could have potentially had a far graver outcome.  They definitely proved their high value within the hospital system.