Pathogens and their vectors can now move further, faster and in greater numbers than as documented in the past. Infectious diseases have been the major killers of humans. It is only within the last century that they have been replaced by chronic diseases and injuries as primary killers in the United States. Worldwide, infectious diseases still account for 25 percent of all deaths. The major advances in infectious disease control to date have been through protection of food and water and through immunizations. New infectious diseases could spread only as fast and far as people could walk. Then as fast and far as horses could gallop and ships could sail. The last five centuries have seen more new diseases than ever before become potential pandemics.
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This process has been referred to as the “Chain of Infection” like I explained in the earlier portion of this assignment. To stop the spread of disease, one or more of these links must be broken which will stop the spread. There are a number of things you can do to break the links pertaining to the “ Chain of Infection”. Having adequate hand hygiene, this can be with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand rub. Confirm that yours hands are dry after washing hands with soap and water. Damp hands transfer up to 1000 times more bacteria than dry hands. Alcohol-based hand rubs are an effective way to perform hand hygiene however, if hands are visibly dirty, use soap and water. You can cough or sneeze into your elbow will help lessen the spread of germs. You can also cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, dispose of tissue straight away and then perform hand hygiene. Performing routine cleaning of surfaces with detergent and water is an effective way of removing germs from surfaces. Gloves are sometimes used in education and care services to provide a protective barrier against germs (“Breaking the chain of infection”, 2013). Transmission in the chain of infection may be broken when the infectious agent is eliminated, inactivated or cannot exit the reservoir, the portals of exit are contained through safe infection control practices, the transmission between objects or people does not occur due to barriers and safe infection control practices, the portals of entry are protected, other persons receiving health care are not susceptible (“Chain of Infection”,
This process has been referred to as the “Chain of Infection” like I explained in the earlier portion of this assignment. To stop the spread of disease, one or more of these links must be broken which will stop the spread. There are a number of things you can do to break the links pertaining to the “ Chain of Infection”. Having adequate hand hygiene, this can be with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand rub. Confirm that yours hands are dry after washing hands with soap and water. Damp hands transfer up to 1000 times more bacteria than dry hands. Alcohol-based hand rubs are an effective way to perform hand hygiene however, if hands are visibly dirty, use soap and water. You can cough or sneeze into your elbow will help lessen the spread of germs. You can also cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, dispose of tissue straight away and then perform hand hygiene. Performing routine cleaning of surfaces with detergent and water is an effective way of removing germs from surfaces. Gloves are sometimes used in education and care services to provide a protective barrier against germs (“Breaking the chain of infection”, 2013). Transmission in the chain of infection may be broken when the infectious agent is eliminated, inactivated or cannot exit the reservoir, the portals of exit are contained through safe infection control practices, the transmission between objects or people does not occur due to barriers and safe infection control practices, the portals of entry are protected, other persons receiving health care are not susceptible (“Chain of Infection”,