How Fast Do Germs Spread And How To Prevent Germs From Spreading
Germs are microscopic organisms that can cause diseases. Germs are part of our everyday life that are present in soil, air, water, and even in our bodies.
Some germs are harmful to us, and some can be helpful. Some germs stay in our bodies without causing any harm, and some help us to stay healthy. Exposure to germs in childhood is thought to help strengthen the immune system and protect children from developing allergies and asthma, but the pathways by which this occurs have been unclear.
How Infection Occurs?
Infection usually occurs when germs enter into the body, multiply in numbers, and then causes a reaction.
Three things are necessary for an infection to occur:
- Source of germs
- Susceptible person
- Transmission
How Are Germs Spread?
Germs can spread in several ways.
Most common among them are as follows.
Nose, mouth, or eyes to hands to others
Germs can spread to the hands by sneezing, coughing, or rubbing the eyes and then can be transferred to other family members or friends. Simply washing your hands can help prevent such illnesses as the common cold or eye infections.
Hands to food
Usually, germs are transmitted from unclean hands to food by an infected food preparer who didn’t wash his or her hands. The germs are then passed to those who eat the food. It is easily prevented by always washing your hands after using the bathroom and before preparing food items.
Food to hands to food
Germs are transmitted from raw foods, such as chicken, to hands while preparing a meal. The germs on the hands are then transferred to other uncooked foods. Cooking raw food kills initial germs.
Infected child to hands to other children
Germs can be passed from a child to the hands of the parent. If the parent or child doesn’t immediately wash his or her hands, the germs can be passed to others.
Animals to people
Wash your hands after petting animals or touching any surfaces that animals come into contact with.
Germs can be spread through contact
Germs can spread from one person to another through direct contact when people shake hands, hug, or kiss. Germs can also spread through indirect contact if people touch something with germs already on it, like a doorknob, and then touch their eyes, nose, or mouth. People can also spread germs by sharing things like cups or pens.
Germs can be spread in the air
Droplets containing germs are released into the air when a person coughs or sneezes. These small droplets can travel as far as 6 feet and can spread germs by surfaces or in through the air to another person’s eyes, nose, or mouth.
In rare instances, remains of these small droplets can be suspended in the air for hours and may be carried by air current farther away. Other people can breathe in these droplets.
At hospitals or care facilities, the team works to prevent the spread of dangerous germs between people by taking infection prevention and control measures. These include frequent cleaning of hands, wearing gowns and gloves, and helping people keep a safe 6-foot distance from each other.
How to stop the spread of germs?
There are many ways to stop the spread of germs.
Some of them are as follows.
Wash hands effectively
Washing hands effectively is the best way to stop the spread of germs.
- Wet your hands and wrists, then apply soap.
- Rub your hands together for at least 20 seconds, so the soap gets bubbly.
- Remove rings or scrub under them.
- If your fingernails are dirty, use a scrub brush.
- Rinse your hands clean with running water.
- Dry your hands with a clean paper towel.
- Do not touch the sink and faucets after you wash your hands. Use the paper towel to turn off the faucet and open the door.
- Rub your hands together, covering all hand surfaces front and back.
- Rub your hands until they’re dry.
Keep a scarf handy
Always keep scarfs in your bag when you are outside, surrounded by large crowds to protect your nose and mouth. They look trendy, and one can have them in any season.
Wear a mask
Wearing a mask can help you to protect from germ spreading. One should wear a mask when suffering from flu or the common cold.
Carry hand sanitizer with you
Always try to carry hand sanitizer with you when you are outside. Hand sanitizers contain alcohol solution, so rubbing your hand with the solution containing 70% alcohol helps to prevent germs.
Change your clothes
For extra precaution, consider changing your clothes when you get home from being in public.
According to research, clothed people shed 37 million microorganisms per hour, and it’s hard to know which microbes will survive in clothing and for how long they’ll survive. Since we don’t know if people or surfaces we touch are infected with harmful germs, changing clothes can cut the chances of transferring microbes to surfaces and people in your house.
Lower the toilet lid
Most of us make it a point to cover our mouths when we cough, wash our hands frequently and wipe down our desks and other germy surfaces. But there’s another strategy for your flu-fighting arsenal you may not know about: keeping a lid on your toilet. Every time you flush with an open lid, bacteria sprays into the air around your toilet. And some of these germs could pass along symptoms of diarrhea or vomiting. The best way to prevent the spread of these bacteria? Keep the lid closed! The study found that this reduced the spread of bacteria by ten times. If someone if your family has come down with the winter bug, clean off all areas of the toilet regularly. And if you’re out in public among lidless toilets, make sure to wash your hands.
Originally posted 2020-04-19 20:45:05. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
