Corona, lockdown and the consequences

Experiences of disinfector and crime scene cleaner Marcell Engel

Bad Soden/Frankfurt, January 20, 2021. The lockdown is being extended: For a year now, the everyday lives of everyone around the world have been shaped by the outbreak of the corona pandemic and its consequences. The past few months have also significantly changed the life and work of Marcell Engel, crime scene cleaner, disinfector and managing director of the Frankfurt company Akut SOS Clean GmbH. He was and is in demand as an expert locally, nationally and internationally. Below he gives insights into how everything was suddenly different, how he and his employees deal with it and what development he expects.

How has the pandemic and its course affected your company?

"First of all, it started with a flood of orders in the area of special disinfection. As a result, our specialized process has gained increased international attention and recognition within a very short time. As a result, we are now stationed in the USA at locations in Washington and New York from March of this year. We also have a permanent presence in the metropolises of Paris, Milan, Madrid and Warsaw. We could not have imagined this in 2020 in terms of disinfection and expansion. This development has accelerated rapidly due to the Corona crisis. As a result The situation has changed significantly for the employees. Increased work effort and maximum flexibility have been pushed to their limits and I am grateful that I can count on them around the clock and in difficult situations.”

And how did the Corona situation affect you personally?

"Life has become completely different. So I had to find other ways to do what I like to do - such as sport as a balance to a demanding job. Rituals such as going to the gym were constantly interrupted. I miss that. My eating habits have also changed enormously. I celebrated my lunch break to take a little time out. I also left the office so as not to do three things at the same time. It's not just about eating food, but the body and mind need one Now I'll take some pre-cooked food with me and eat in the office and do one or two things while I'm eating.

Has the course of the pandemic had a significant impact on your business activities?

"The lockdowns have of course also affected us. We now primarily serve the niches of our 50 trades. These are of course large fields. Sadly, the number of corpses found due to suicide and their cleaning has increased significantly. Our evaluation has shown that in Germany and Austria alone we are recording an increase of 650 percent compared to the average of the past five years. The connection between the pandemic, its effects and the high number of suicides is obvious.
What also keeps us on our toes are the calls from the many people seeking help that have come over us like a tsunami. We continue to provide videos and guides free of charge on our website. They offer tips on questions such as “How to wear the mask correctly?”, “How do I disinfect surfaces?” and “How do I best protect myself and others?” It's unbelievable what we've achieved with this. In total there are over a million downloads – as of today. We are happy that we are helping people with this and obviously taking away their insecurities and fears. It is pleasing that this is so well received and that we are making a supportive contribution.”

What further developments do you expect?

"Based on the current infection situation and the uncertainties such as further mutations of the virus and a possible wave of infections, I had already assumed in advance that the lockdown would be extended in combination with stricter measures. I am convinced that we will not get out of this easily. I have also predicted in the past that the situation can only be expected to ease with warmer temperatures from April onwards. Furthermore, when a large part of the population has been successfully vaccinated.

"Now it's time to persevere. I think it's almost impossible to shut everything down again. I'm also convinced that the corona virus will be with us in the medium to long term. In my opinion, this will be similar to the flu, whose viruses are constantly mutating and require vaccination again and again."

Do you have any tips that will make life and everyday life with the virus – now also the mutated version – a little easier?

"I think it's important to continue to stay positive. Let's remember that we don't have to starve or die of thirst. Above all, we don't have to wait passively for everything to get better or for it to suddenly be over. The "blanket over your head" system doesn't work. I advise you to become active as far as possible and to pursue interests such as sport through digital offerings. Podcasts are also a great way to educate yourself, get information or get creative input.

It is very important to look ahead without fear if possible. Of course, that's not always easy. Anyone who works from home at home, has to look after the children at the same time and is also faced with homeschooling has a difficult time. This is more than a challenge. Every situation is different, for example there is of course a lack of social contact. It is particularly difficult for single people and those who are sick. Nevertheless: life will go on. That’s why I appeal to you to stay positive and look ahead.”

Are you planning to make your wealth of experience and the insights gained from it available to a broad audience?

"Yes, I plan to do that. For one simple reason: During our educational discussions with customers and those seeking advice about the infection process and the corresponding disinfection, we discovered that the attitude towards dealing with it is extremely important. We believe that there is a great need here. Clarity, i.e. naming things, apparently takes away people's fear of confusing situations and dangers. Our tips for countering this are very well received. A sign of this, as already mentioned, is the extremely high click rate of the videos on our website and the people who follow them subsequent demand for more. I was asked about it directly and personally. This motivated me to create a separate website http://www.marcellengel.com which will go online on February 1st. Varied and individual podcasts offer information and tips, for example on how to improve the quality of life. Of course, satisfaction, happiness and success play a big role. This is just one component of the innovative podcast series. Listeners can be excited because I will share with them many of my experiences and findings from numerous crime scene cleanups and more.”