Different viruses are spread in different ways. The main way that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, spreads between people is by respiratory droplets. “In this case, a ‘droplet’ doesn’t just mean water that you can see, like big raindrops or splashes in the sink or a pool,” said Dr. Abigail Carlson, an infectious diseases physician with the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), as part of CDC Project Firstline’s Inside Infection Control video series. “These droplets we’re talking about are actually really tiny, and where they come from may surprise you.”
Where Do Respiratory Droplets Come From?
You might think that when you breathe out, all that comes out is air. But our breath contains water too, in the form of respiratory droplets. ...
Cleaning removes dust, dirt, and germs from surfaces and objects. Disinfection makes sure that as many germs as possible are destroyed or killed. Cleaning and disinfection are both important infection control actions in hospitals and other healthcare settings because they keep germs away from people and help keep germs from spreading. Seems like common sense, right? “Even though it’s common sense, it’s important to think through all the reasons why we’re so careful about keeping an environment clean,” said Dr. Abigail Carlson, an infectious diseases physician with the CDC, as part of CDC Project Firstline’s Inside Infection Control video series.
The Importance of Cleaning and Disinfection: The Immune System
When we are healthy, our bodies have many built-in ways to ...
Do you realize how many things you touch with your hands every day? When we touch anything from our phones to our doorknobs, we can pick up germs like bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Germs can get in between our fingers or under our fingernails where it’s warm and damp, or in cuts on the skin, and grow and spread quickly, causing illness. That’s why hand hygiene and cleaning your hands is an important for infection control for frontline healthcare workers. “The simple answer is, when you clean your hands, you're stopping the spread of germs to your patients, to the environment, and to the things in the environment and from your patients or the environment to you,” said Dr. Abigail Carlson, an infectious diseases physician with the CDC, as part of CDC Project Firstline’s ...
May is Healthy Vision Month! The National Eye Institute (NEI) has theme for Healthy Vision Month—"Healthy Vision: A Family Focus" and "Visión saludable: ojos sanos para su familia." This is important because families of color, like Latinos, face barriers to eye health care. "We want to inspire families to team up and learn how to protect their vision together! We’re centering this year’s campaign around people who are more likely to have eye problems because of barriers in access to eye care," according to NEI. "A note to Spanish-speakers: Instead of directly translating, we purposefully transcreated some elements of the Healthy Vision Month content to make sure it’s culturally relevant." Here are five ways to promote health equity and healthy vision for families.
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Cleaning and disinfection are both important for preventing infections from spreading in healthcare settings. But cleaning is not the same as disinfection. Let’s explore the importance of cleaning and disinfection, and the difference between them, with the help of the CDC’s Project Firstline, a training and education collaborative designed to ensure all healthcare workers have the infection control knowledge and understanding they need and deserve to protect themselves, their patients, and their coworkers.
What is Cleaning?
Cleaning removes things like dust, dirt, grime, and other spills, smears, and everyday messes from surfaces. Cleaning can also remove things that are not visible, like germs. "You can think of cleaning as removing the ‘gunk’ that you can see on ...
As the average American takes a shower, cooks, or enjoys a drink from the tap, chances are they simply turn on a faucet to access clean, drinkable water. People who live in colonias have a much harsher experience. While the average American uses 88 gallons of water per day, Cochran colonia residents in El Paso County, Texas, use a mere 50 to 100 gallons per month, facing daily struggles for safe water. Join us as Salud America! explores this rising health disparity through a three-part series on Latino drinking water contamination. Part 1 focused on nitrates, how prevalent they are in Latino drinking water, and emerging efforts to promote safer water for Latinos and all people. Part 2 addressed drinking water contamination at Superfund sites, its impact on Latinos, and ...
Research suggests that Latinos are more likely to live near Superfund sites with contaminated drinking water, increasing risks for adverse health effects. This health inequity contributes to a larger issue of Latinos generally having less access to clean, safe drinking water in the US. Join us as Salud America! explores this health disparity through a three-part series on Latino drinking water contamination. Part 1 focused on nitrates in drinking water, how prevalent nitrate-contaminated drinking water is in Latino communities, and how the nation is promoting safer water for Latinos and all people. Today, in Part 2, we will address contaminated drinking water at Superfund sites, its impact on Latinos, and current efforts to promote safer drinking water in these ...
Rural Latinos and farmworkers in the US are disproportionately exposed to nitrate-contaminated drinking water. This health disparity stems from a larger issue of Latinos generally having less access to clean, safe drinking water in the US. Join us as Salud America! explores this rising health disparity through a three-part series on Latino drinking water contamination. Today we will tackle what nitrates are, how prevalent they are in Latino drinking water, and emerging efforts to promote safer water for Latinos and all people. Part 2 will address drinking water contamination at Superfund sites, its impact on Latinos, and current efforts to promote safer drinking water in these areas. Part 3 will focus on water insecurity in colonias and the US/Mexico border, and how we ...
As COVID-19 proved, germs, including bacteria and viruses, can spread quickly. The goal of infection prevention and control is to keep people from getting sick. This is why the CDC launched Project Firstline, a training and education collaborative designed to ensure all healthcare workers, no matter their role or educational background, have the infection prevention and control knowledge and understanding they need and deserve to protect themselves, their patients, and their coworkers. Project Firstline is working with National Hispanic Medical Association and Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio to promote infection prevention and control in healthcare settings. “The goal of CDC’s infection control recommendations is to protect you and everyone in the healthcare ...
