Surface Disinfection By the Numbers

Facts and figures that highlight the need for proper surface disinfection products and protocols in the healthcare setting.

The goal was a lofty one even before COVID hit. Included in its Healthy People 2020 initiative, the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, announced one of the areas of focus was to prevent, reduce, and ultimately eliminate healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). HAIs are infections that patients get while receiving treatment for medical or surgical conditions. Many HAIs are preventable. HHS has since updated its initiative to Healthy People 2030, to set data-driven national objectives to improve health and wellbeing over the next decade, with eliminating HAIs remaining a key priority.

In order to reach that goal, healthcare providers have their work cut out for them. The following facts and figures illustrate the prevalence of HAIs and the need for proper protocols, products and medications to reduce and ultimately eliminate them.

1 Out Of 25

At any one time in the U.S., one out of every 25 hospitalized patients are affected by an HAI, according to information compiled in 2020 by the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.1

1.7 million

In U.S. hospitals, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that HAIs account for an estimated 1.7 million infections and 99,000 associated deaths each year.2

$28.4 billion

HAIs in U.S. hospitals have direct medical costs of at least $28.4 billion each year, according to the CDC. Certain factors raise the risk of contracting HAIs, including invasive procedures, severity of illness, not adhering to best practices for prevention, and overuse or improper use of antibiotics.3

$12.4 billion

HAIs also account for an additional $12.4 billion in costs to society from early deaths and lost productivity.

Mrsa

49-65%

In its HAI Reduction and Implementation Tool Kits, the CDC provided findings of current estimates that suggest 49-65% of healthcare-associated S. aureus infections reported to NHSN are caused by Methicillinresistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) a cause of staph infection that is difficult to treat because of resistance to some antibiotics. 4

94,360

An estimated number of invasive MRSA infections that occur annually in the U.S.

18,650

Associated deaths due to MRSA each year.

86%

Percentage of all invasive MRSA infections that are healthcare-associated.

The market

$987 million

According to industry analysis from Grand View Research, the U.S. surface disinfectant market size was valued at USD 987.00 million in 2019 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.2% from 2020 to 2027.5 “This growth can be attributed to the prevalence of healthcare-associated infections in the country, coupled with favorable government regulations concerning the usage of disinfectants for medical hygiene,” the report overview stated.

The good news

70%

Most HAIs are preventable and can be reduced by up to 70% through effective Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) measures.6 “Studies have shown that proper education and training of health care workers increases compliance with and adoption of best practices (e.g., infection control, surface disinfection, hand hygiene, attention to safety culture, and antibiotic stewardship) to prevent HAIs,” the HHS states on its website.