How to flu-proof your home
Scientist reveals what he does to avoid catching the virus from relatives
Homes are germy places. Microbes come from a variety of sources such as ventilation systems, plants, the outdoor environment and our own microbial cloud. Usually, they pose no threat to our health and you need not worry. When someone contracts a respiratory virus, such as influenza, you might want to reevaluate the situation to keep others safe.
So how do you evacuate those flu germs from your home and work? Follow a process known as infection prevention and control. It's been used for decades in healthcare to keep patients, visitors and staff safe. You must view the home like a hospital. By following a few steps, you can reduce the chances of the infection spreading.
Stop touching your face
The first step is to determine how the pathogen spreads. For influenza, there are two well-known routes. The first is direct transmission from one person to another via droplets and possibly through the air. The other is indirect transmission in which people inadvertently infect themselves after touching contaminated surfaces. Which route is most likely to contribute to infection spread? Research shows indirect transmission may be a significant contributor to an outbreak. That's because humans have a habit of regularly touching their faces, increasing chances for the introduction of the virus.
Use steam to kill flu
The next stage involves figuring out methods to prevent and/ or control the routes of infection. The easiest option is to eliminate spread by keeping infected people away from areas where healthy ones tend to congregate. But, unlike in a hospital, isolation is not possible in the home.
The only option is to reduce the likelihood of self-inoculation by killing the virus on surfaces, a practice known as disinfection. Disinfection is different from general cleaning as it is designed to kill microbial species. Killing influenza can be achieved by wiping with simple detergents, diluted bleach, or hydrogen peroxide. If chemicals are not desired, flu also dies in the presence of steam.
Disinfect the TV remote
After choosing a disinfectant, the final step involves identifying the surfaces to clean. Those of greatest concern are 'high-touch surfaces' — those that are touched on a regular basis by many.
In hospitals, these include bed rails, tables and carts. In the home, hightouch surfaces exist such as refrigerator and microwave handles, faucets, light switches, door knobs, the toilet and the TV remote control and electronic devices. All of these are prime sources for virus contamination and need to be disinfected regularly. Of course, regularly is an arbitrary term. To know how often to disinfect, you need to understand the pathogen's ability to stay alive in the environment. The influenza virus can remain infectious on surfaces for up to 24 hours. This means you should disinfect as often as possible while an individual is showing symptoms and, to be safe, for a few days after they subside.
Wash your hands - and kitchen sponges - regularly
As infection prevention and control has learned, such frequency is hard to maintain. That is why surface disinfection must be supplemented with constant hand hygiene.
After contact with a suspect surface, people should wash their hands. If there's a sink available, wash with water and soap making sure to lather for at least 20 seconds and drying the hands. You can also use an alcohol-based hand rub, containing ethanol. When executed properly, a combination of hand-washing and disinfection will help to prevent the unnecessary spread of flu.