{"id":52168,"date":"2024-10-23T10:25:56","date_gmt":"2024-10-23T09:25:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/?p=52168"},"modified":"2024-10-23T12:27:44","modified_gmt":"2024-10-23T11:27:44","slug":"the-touch-of-germs-contaminated-surfaces-and-risks-of-infection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/the-touch-of-germs-contaminated-surfaces-and-risks-of-infection\/52168\/","title":{"rendered":"The touch of germs: Contaminated surfaces and their risk of infection"},"content":{"rendered":"

Spectrum Blue<\/a> considers the contamination of surfaces and the risk they pose for spreading infection.<\/h2>\n

You sneeze, breathe, sweat, and move bacteria all the time. So where do those viruses and bacteria end up and hide? Some microbes can hover in the air for days. Most of them land on surfaces, gather together, create a small colony, and create a biofilm. In this biofilm, the microbes can live for days and weeks, multiply and spread again. How can we reduce unwanted biofilm in housing?<\/p>\n

A surfacing problem<\/h3>\n

Our body consists of trillions of bacteria and viruses. Actually, they outnumber the cells in your body! They are good for us and necessary for our wellbeing and good health. But a few ones, when they grow in number, are making us sick, cause infections or can even cause death. You know several family names by now: Noro, Covid, Salmonella, Streptococcus, Candida auris, Staphylococcus\u2026 and many more.<\/p>\n

When viruses and bacteria enter a room or building, they can be spread by droplets (sneezing), breathing, or touch. Airborne versions stay in the air for a long time, bouncing into walls, ceilings, objects, and humans. Other, heavier versions land on surfaces more quickly. All of them can survive on a surface for a long time, depending on temperature, material, and humidity. If there is dirt, mould, or biofilm, the microbes can survive very long.<\/p>\n

Viruses and bacteria hibernate, multiply, and spread through contaminated surfaces. This is a huge problem in all buildings, but especially hospitals and elderly homes, and it\u2019s called Healthcare-Associated Infections, HAI.<\/p>\n

Deaths and dollars<\/h3>\n

Healthcare-associated Infections (HAI) are infections that occur at the hospital, in an elderly home, at the dentist, or in other healthcare settings. These infections are increasingly resistant to antibiotics and are costing healthcare and society money.<\/p>\n

One summary from 2022:<\/p>\n

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Source: Center for Diseases Control, USA. www.cdc.gov<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Airborne microbes<\/h3>\n

When the sun is low and shining through the windows into a room, you often see dust swirling around. If you lack dust to see, just remove your T-shirt or sweater in the sunlight, and you produce a million particles that you can easily see. These particles are gigantic in size compared to viruses and bacteria, but still, they hover around. The slightest difference in air temperature makes them rise upwards. Your own body temperature makes the air rise upwards against the roof before fluctuating down again.<\/p>\n

After some time, the dust attaches to surfaces and is \u2018invisible\u2019.<\/p>\n

\"contaminated
Illustration of particles dancing in the sunlight in a bedroom<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Particles, microbes, and germs can drift around the room, sometimes bouncing off contaminated surfaces and finally settling everywhere. The obvious place is the floor and carpet; gravity influences even the smallest microbes, but targets include the walls and ceiling.<\/p>\n

\"contaminated
Simulation of particle directions from breathing
Source: Laurentiu Tacutu et al 2019 IOP Conf.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

From surfaces to humans and back again<\/h3>\n

Humans touch surfaces and then spread germs. Surfaces that spread germs include door handles, handrails, furniture, medical equipment, TV controls, and even hand sanitiser (if it\u2019s operated by your hand).<\/p>\n

\"contaminated<\/p>\n

There are several YouTube videos that demonstrate this contagious phenomenon. Some of them are:<\/p>\n