After living with Covid-19 for two years, people all over the world have learned a new vocabulary – lateral flow? R number? – and a whole new set of habits. Elbow bumping, social distancing, mask-wearing – these have all become regular features of daily life. And as for brand awareness, finally Pfizer is famous for something else.

The pandemic has also caused the spread of lots of unverified or contested information. One of the most contentious issues has been whether the only way to catch COVID is through airborne infection, or is it possible to pick it up from contaminated objects and surfaces? Sensibly, most people tend to be leaning towards caution – if we don’t know for sure then why take the chance?

The Touchless Trend

Our behaviour has adapted not just in our personal interactions but in the commercial world. Take-outs and delivery are done by leaving food at the door, contactless card payment limits have been increased, many stores have introduced no-touching rules while others have placed any handled goods into a disinfecting area before putting them back on the rails and shelves. A lot of this kind of contact can be eliminated, but very few of us can get through the day without using doors. And these are often doors that hundreds if not thousands of people have touched. How do we know we’re not putting ourselves and our families at risk of infection just by touching that handle or pressing that button?

Auto Door Installation

Bars and restaurants have been badly hit by the pandemic, with Fortune reporting that 110,000 venues have closed temporarily or permanently and consumer interest dropping by 81 per cent. On the bright side, 64 per cent of people questioned said they would return to restaurants which had automatic doors.

Clearly, auto door installation is a very popular solution for millions of people concerned about contaminated manual doors. The Fortune study focuses on hospitality, but could just as easily have looked at stores, offices and public buildings. Wherever there’s a door, people are wary. Design standards for new builds are certain to incorporate automatic doors as an imperative. However, isn’t it an expensive measure to take in the hope of attracting customers back into these establishments? Not necessarily.

Auto Door Conversion

It’s easier than you might think to convert existing manual doors to automatic operation. Swing door operators can be retrofitted. They are usually surface mounted which means minimal disruption to an entranceway’s infrastructure, and their durability qualifies them for punishing, continuous use.

Other Advantages of Auto Door Installation

If your office, store or restaurant has limited space, then sliding telescopic doors are a great option. The installation of touchless wave plates adds even stronger protection and the hygiene control provided by automatic doors ultimately brings cost-saving benefits. In addition to conserving energy, they can lower infection rates to such an extent that days lost through employee sickness can be significantly reduced. Getting rid of manual door handles will give employees and customers a much greater sense of safety and will future-proof establishments against any new variants or future pandemics.