Moreover, it would be important to evaluate the advantages of implemented cleaning and disinfection protocols with the use of UV-C devices in areas hosting fragile and vulnerable patients, e.g., in intensive care units. The principal limitation is the continuous presence of people in this type of setting. For this reason, it would be worth evaluating strategies aimed at protecting the patient&#x;s safety using protective devices, which may be evaluated for human security during UV-C emission at specific dosages and times.

Hospitalized patients&#x; security in intensive care units should be ensured using protective devices, which may be evaluated for human security during UV-C emission at specific dosages and times. Considering the lack of literature data about these possible strategies, the use of a UV-C robot in the presence of persons still represents a critical issue that may be taken into account for the development of safe and effective technologies.

Hospital environmental hygiene is a complex process because it is influenced by several variables, such as the type of surface, incorrect disinfectant contact times, excessive dilution of disinfectant solutions, and potential biocide/antibiotic cross-resistance. In addition, it has been shown that the use of contaminated cloths and/or solutions promotes the spread of microorganisms between different environments [

Monitoring data feedback to cleaning staff through periodic audits can be a valid aid for improving cleaning and disinfection procedures and adherence to protocols. This strategy was adopted in our study and, thanks to the collaboration between the infection control team and the outsourced cleaning company, it was possible to identify the critical issues and take corrective actions. To this end, environmental monitoring is essential for process verification.

Our study has some limitations. Firstly, the non-homogeneous sampling for all of the settings, where a greater number of analyses were dedicated to the OTs rather than the ICUs or patient rooms: it was not always possible to proceed with the UV-C treatment at the patient discharge because trained personnel were limited and not always available. This problem underlines the importance of having dedicated personnel identifiable as that of the outsourced cleaning company. The use of new technologies could in fact be included in outsourcing contracts as an improvement action in the event of non-compliance in the cleaning service. These personnel could be adequately trained not only on the cleaning protocols to be adopted but also on infection control issues.