October-November 2021 - 20

TOUCHLESS TECHNOLOGY
Needed or not, some clients
expect touchless solutions
in the COVID-era office
breakroom. Operators
20 Months In
A
s evidence has piled up through the
course of the pandemic, now in
its 20th month, our scientific
understanding about the virus
should have options ready.
By Nick Montano, Editor
continues to change. In the first two
months of the COVID-19 outbreak,
it was mistakenly believed that the
coronavirus behind the pandemic
could linger and spread on doorknobs
and other surfaces.
However, the science community
soon discovered that COVID-19
rarely spreads through surfaces.
Instead, COVID-19 almost always
spreads when infected people discharge
aerosols, consisting of large
droplets and small particles, when
they cough, sneeze, talk or
breathe - just like the
spreading attributes
of influenza. Aerosols
can be inhaled by
people nearby. Surface transmission,
although possible, is not considered to
be a significant risk of spread.
That's too bad - because it's much
easier to clean and guard surfaces than
it is to improve or replace ventilation
systems. Nevertheless, almost two
years into the pandemic, consumers
have come to expect surface disinfection
protocols, especially at work in
breakrooms. Within the first months of
the pandemic, operators and their suppliers
were in the sanitizing business
- finding ways to reduce contact points
required by a customer when using
vending, coffee and water equipment.
So, we continue to deep clean
and reduce touchpoints as part of the
COVID protocol. For its part, amid a
clear belief that touchpoints were dangerous
and needed to be minimized,
the convenience services industry
responded with smartphone apps and
a wide variety of touch-free ways to
deliver snacks, a cup of coffee or to
check out from a micro market kiosk
without touching anything but
the finished product.
20 Automatic Merchandiser * October/November 2021
1317781397 | alvarez | Getty Images

October-November 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of October-November 2021

The Long Game
Up And At ‘Em
20 Months In
They Are Legend
Editor’s Note
Industry News
Classifieds
Social Hubs
October-November 2021 - PCOV1
October-November 2021 - PCOV2
October-November 2021 - 1
October-November 2021 - 2
October-November 2021 - 3
October-November 2021 - 4
October-November 2021 - 5
October-November 2021 - Editor’s Note
October-November 2021 - 7
October-November 2021 - Industry News
October-November 2021 - 9
October-November 2021 - The Long Game
October-November 2021 - 11
October-November 2021 - 12
October-November 2021 - 13
October-November 2021 - Up And At ‘Em
October-November 2021 - 15
October-November 2021 - 16
October-November 2021 - 17
October-November 2021 - 18
October-November 2021 - 19
October-November 2021 - 20 Months In
October-November 2021 - 21
October-November 2021 - 22
October-November 2021 - 23
October-November 2021 - 24
October-November 2021 - 25
October-November 2021 - They Are Legend
October-November 2021 - 27
October-November 2021 - 28
October-November 2021 - 29
October-November 2021 - 30
October-November 2021 - 31
October-November 2021 - 32
October-November 2021 - Classifieds
October-November 2021 - Social Hubs
October-November 2021 - 35
October-November 2021 - 36
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