In areas of general misperceptions, it is often believed that exposure to transmission can lead to infection only through direct contact with the patient ‘ s body, yet the fact is far from simple.
Exposure transmission actually involves both direct and indirect exposure transmission. Direct contact with transmission, as understood by the general public, refers to direct contact between a healthy person and the patient ‘ s body, with the pathogen being directly transferred from the patient to a healthy person and causing infection. For example, when caring for patients suffering from certain skin-borne diseases, such as scabies, they are vulnerable to infection if they are not protected from direct contact with the sick skin. This direct physical contact allows for rapid migration of pathogens from one host to another, thus opening up new infections.
However, indirect contact with transmission is the “hidden killer” that is often overlooked. Indirect exposure to transmission refers to the exposure of healthy people to contaminated objects resulting in infection. There are many such potential sources of infection in our daily living environment. For example, if the meals used by the patient are not thoroughly cleaned and disinfected, the next user may be infected by the use of these dishes with a fungus transmitted through the digestive tract, such as the fungus, which can cause diseases such as stomach inflammation and stomach ulcer. Textiles such as towels and clothing used by patients are also common media. Like intestinal viruses that cause foot-and-mouth disease can survive on towels for some time and can be infected if healthy people use contaminated towels to wipe their noses and mouths.
Goods in public places are also indirectly exposed to “high-risk areas”. The support of hospitals, elevator buttons, door handles, etc., are highly mobile and easily contaminated by patients. For example, when a cold patient covers his nose and mouth with his hands and touches the elevator button, then the healthy person touches the button and then touches his nose or eyes with his hands, the virus may be brought into the body, causing cold symptoms. Seat support, zipping, etc. on public transport are no exception. During the high-prevalence flu season, these frequently exposed public facilities could become “accompanies” to the spread of the influenza virus, leading to unintended infection of unprepared passengers.
In the medical environment, indirect exposure can also be caused by incomplete disinfection of medical devices. For example, if used syringes, surgical devices, etc. are not treated in accordance with strict sterilization procedures, residual pathogens may become infected with the next patient for treatment or surgery, which can lead not only to the spread of infectious diseases, but also to serious hospital infections, which pose a great health threat.
For some infectious diseases transmitted through exposure, such as the diarrhoea caused by the Novartis virus, the spread is extremely high and small amounts of viral particles are sufficient to cause infection. Environmental surfaces such as surfaces, tables and chairs contaminated with patients ‘ vomiting or excrement, if not cleaned and disinfected in a timely manner, may be infected with others after exposure. And the long life of the virus in the environment further increases the risk of indirect exposure.
Exposure to transmission is by no means limited to direct physical contact with the patient. We live in an environment full of potential risks of infection, and any contaminated objects can become vectors of disease. Therefore, in everyday life, especially during the epidemic, we have to develop good personal hygiene habits, wash our hands and avoid touching their mouths, noses and eyes with their hands; minimize touching of public facilities in public places and wash their hands in a timely manner if they are touched; and perform thorough disinfection of the objects used by the patient, which should be strictly enforced in medical institutions. It is only through a comprehensive understanding of the multiple ways of reaching out to the epidemic that the spread of infectious diseases can be better prevented and the health of themselves and others protected.
