Infection control matters. Without the proper knowledge, you could be spreading germs and infection around and not know it. While some infections might seem as harmless as the common cold, some might be a bit harder on the immune system and thus be harder to treat. It’s wise to simply keep any infection at bay.
Here are some of the ways you can promote infection control and prevention:
Encourage Hand Washing Practices
Every year, about 1.8 million children—about the age of 5 and younger—die, suffering from a diarrheal disease as well as pneumonia, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Properly washing one’s hands with soap and water, though, can effectively prevent this from happening. So if you want to keep your community and loved ones safe from infection, encourage everyone in your network to develop healthy hand washing habits.
Educate Yourself
Attend an infection control certification course. That way, you’ll know what other measures and tips you can do to keep infections at bay. The great thing about training is that you really get the chance to learn how to deal and resolve the situation if it happens in real life. So if and when an emergency develops, you know you won’t buckle under the pressure. You’ll have everything under control.
Be Cautious Around Animals
The world first knew of the Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever in 1976, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). A virulent virus, it required a whole host of infection control and prevention measures before the widespread epidemic—along with the panic it created—subsided. And the culprit? Fruit bats. When these infected animals came into contact with humans, it marked the first outbreak of the Ebola virus until human to human transmissions happened and it began to spread like wild fire. That’s how dangerous animals can be. So always exercise caution when you’re dealing with animals in the wild.
