Steve Walker

Sales and Marketing Manager

With Labor Day here and schools across the country opening their doors to students, many people have once again begun to concern themselves with what steps they can take to reduce their exposure to the swine flu, or H1N1 virus. So many young people gathered in such cramped quarters for extended periods of time makes school officials understandably nervous about the potential spreading of this virus. Parents too are concerned that their children may be exposed to H1N1 at the same time that the usual flu season is upon us.  However, the potential effects of H1N1 are not limited to schools and universities. The office workplace shares many of the same characteristics; people who spend several hours in close proximity to one another who then return home to further close interaction and extended time with their families. In fact, the potential for disruptions in the workplace is actually greater because workers who have school-age children may be forced to stay at home with children who are infected. One report from the state of Florida suggested that businesses would have to find ways to cope with a rise in absenteeism among workers who have children that become infected. Some of the ideas floated were an increased reliance on tele-commuting for those whose primary work is done on a PC, more organized flex-time arrangements to accommodate those whose physical presence is required at their workplace, and the adoption and implementation of paperless business processes wherever possible.

There are two primary reasons for the electronic or paperless initiative. The first dovetails with the increased reliance on tele-commuting; simply stated, that documents that can be securely sent, reviewed and signed regardless of the geographical location of the other entities involved makes it possible for those who are infected with swine flu or have family members that are infected to stay home and still remain productive .It may also serve to keep that worker, who is now at a higher risk of contracting H1N1 themselves, away from the office and to possibly avoid passing the virus on to other co-workers. The second reason is less understood but far more important.

The length of time that the flu can usually survive outside the body on an environmental surface, such as a doorknob or automobile latch can vary widely, but the widely accepted range is from a few minutes to perhaps two full days – depending on the specific strain of virus and the type of surface. Flu viruses tend to live longer on surfaces than standard cold viruses do, and it is generally believed  that the H1N1 may mutate, allowing it to live even longer than previously thought. One study suggests that in laboratory conditions, flu virus can survive for up to two weeks or more on paper. Quoting from that article, Dr. Yves Thomas and other colleagues at the Geneva University Hospital in Switzerland dripped multiple strains of flu virus – including some that were circulating during winter 2007 – onto Swiss banknotes and left them at room temperature for varying amounts of time previously testing for live virus. Some strains of flu lasted only two hours, but some lasted up to 72 hours. However, all the strains lasted longer when they were dripped onto the notes along with human nasal mucus. Some lasted as long as 17 days. One strain that lasted only two hours on its own lasted 24 hours in mucus. “I’m surprised the virus persisted so long,” says Graeme Laver, an expert in the spread of bird flu, formerly of the Australian National University in Canberra. But the flu virus likes wet environments – and mucus is ideal because it is designed to retain water.

eOriginal offers improved workflow and security and can eliminate the need for paper processes.  The electronic process is completely secure and will help to streamline your business processes. As long as a signer has internet access, your documents can be signed, secured, and managed online allowing you to execute your business transactions from anywhere, anytime.   We can also assist in eliminating missing signatures and incomplete documents.  Your internal or external customers cannot complete the signing process without documents being properly signed. This can also reduce or eliminate the need to ship or re-ship documents and reduces the need for multiple employees, couriers, and signers to physically handle documents.

eOrignal’s electronic signature solutions can reduce the amount of paper that travels through your office that needs to be physically handled throughout your business process and, as added benefit with the reduction of paper, your employees may remain healthier throughout the flu season.  As President Obama said about H1N1 in a recent speech to the National Institutes of Health, “We want to make sure we are not promoting panic. but we are promoting vigilance and preparation.” Good preparation and a willingness to act before a problem strikes are hallmarks of great companies and institutions.  Please feel free to contact us to ask how eOriginal can help you with your electronic business initiative.

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