DO VIRUSES AND BACTERIA SPREAD THE SAME WAY?

9/1/2021 (Permalink)

Bacteria and viruses can both spread in many ways.

• Contact transmission occurs when someone picks up germs from an infected surface. Touching your nose, mouth, or eyes after contact with germs on a surface can make you sick. You can also transfer germs from person to person through touch.
• Sprays or splashes can also transmit infections. Droplets of water caused by coughing or sneezing can carry germs at distances of about 6 feet. If this fluid encounters a person’s eyes, nose, or mouth, it can cause infection
• Inhalation occurs when someone breaths small particles of germs that are carried by air currents. These tiny particles are called aerosols, and they can travel further than droplets can. Aerosols can spread by coughing or sneezing, but they can also be spread simply by talking or breathing.
• Sharps injuries can cause infection, if a bloodborne pathogen enters a person through the puncture. The risk of bloodborne transmission is why medical facilities have special sharps containers for disposing of used needles.

Different pathogens may spread in different ways. For instance, some germs may be too big to spread by aerosols, but they can still be transmitted by droplets. Other germs survive longer on surfaces and are thus more readily transmitted through contact. The modes of transmission have less to do with whether a pathogen is a bacteria or virus, and more about the properties of the individual type of germ.

It can take time to learn about how pathogens are spread, too. When the Coronavirus that causes COVID-19 first emerged, experts believed that it was transmitted through droplets alone, and not aerosols, and recommended staying 6 feet apart from the person next to you. As time went on, they learned that the virus seemingly could spread through aerosols. This knowledge changes the recommendations and preventative measures that people should take to avoid contracting the disease. It means that masks, previously thought to be unimportant, are very important. It also means that 6 feet between people is probably not enough, considering that the virus can survive in the air for up to 3 hours.

The transmission of pathogens can happen all sorts of ways. That means that it is important to have a thorough, regular schedule of cleaning and disinfecting.