Skip to main content

Wash those fomite infected hands!


What are fomites?  Inanimate objects that form a secondary route of exposure for person-to-person transmissions. Any object that we may come in contact with can serve as fomites, doorknobs, elevator buttons, hand rails, phones, cab doors, keyboards, toys, even clothing.

Respiratory droplets are propelled into the air by sneezing and coughing. The aerosol generated by coughing and sneezing contain droplets of moisture of varying sizes laden with pathogens. The largest droplets are more likely to fall to the floor. Medium sized ones are more likely to enter the nasal passages of someone nearby, causing infection. The moisture in the smallest particles tends to evaporate rapidly, resulting in the formation of so-called droplet nuclei, which are light and can remain airborne for longer periods. These can travel from room to room or through ventilation ducts; owing to their small size and weight, their movement is mostly dictated by air currents, and, if inhaled, they can flow with inhaled air far down the respiratory tract, reaching the alveoli. Respiratory droplets can also contaminate inanimate objects (fomites) via coughing or sneezing or by transform from hands contaminated with a sneeze or cough. Ergo, one can become infected by touching a person or inanimate object that is contaminated and then rubbing one's eyes or allowing the infectious particles to enter the nose or mouth.

Needless to say, hand washing is the single most effective way to prevent the spread of infections.

There is no rule per-se when to wash your hands, however WHO recommends the following instances with priority:
*      After coughing and sneezing
*      Tending the sick
*      Before, during and after food preparation
*      After toilet use
*      Hands visibly dirty
*      After handling animals/ animal waste




Alcohol rapidly inhibits the infectious activities of microbial agents present on the skin surfaces as soon as it comes in contact with them. The alcohol directly attacks the cell wall of the micro-organisms, ruptures it completely before charging into membrane wall and nuclei. Since alcohol’s boiling point is low, the heat generated due to rubbing off hands evaporates particles, taking germs with them. Independent of water and towel, it provides a reliable prolonged antimicrobial effect. Not only does it give great feel but also enhances skin hydration.


“As the COVID-19 outbreak continues to evolve, comparisons have been drawn to influenza. Firstly, COVID-19 and influenza viruses have a similar disease presentation. That is, they both cause respiratory disease, which presents as a wide range of illness from asymptomatic or mild through to severe disease and death. Secondly, both viruses are transmitted by contact, droplets and fomites. As a result, the same public health measures, such as hand hygiene and good respiratory etiquette (coughing into your elbow or into a tissue and immediately disposing of the tissue), are important actions all can take to prevent infection.”, World Health Organization

Popular posts from this blog

Acid Coil Cleaner leaves the aluminum surface clean and shining bright

Improper refrigerant levels, dirty coils, and worn out compressors or condensers can result in inefficient performance of air conditioning system. An inefficient system tends to force the compressor to work harder than is required decreasing its life span and thereby leading to higher energy bills. The primary energy required in operating an air conditioning system comes from the compression of refrigerant. The hotter the compressor receives the processed refrigerant, the more energy is necessary to force it through the condenser. The refrigerant needs to become cold enough to absorb more heat from the process, therefore an external chiller such as an open evaporative condenser or air blast unit is required. It is crucial for effective air-conditioning operation that the condenser is able to easily reject heat through the cooling airflow and the heat exchanger coils. Energy consumption builds up as the refrigerant vapor pressure increases, where the refrigerant is not sufficien...

TONO FROST 593: The Ultimate NSF-Certified Solution for Food & Beverage Heat Transfer

In the world of food and beverage processing, maintaining thermal efficiency, ensuring product safety, and minimizing operational downtime are all non-negotiable demands. Whether it’s for cold storage, chilling equipment, pasteurization lines, or fermentation control, the choice of heat transfer fluid can significantly impact both performance and compliance. TONO FROST 593 , developed by Chemtex, is an NSF HT1-certified inhibited propylene glycol solution engineered to meet the highest standards of safety, performance, and efficiency in food-grade environments. What is TONO FROST 593 ? TONO FROST 593 is a blend of food-grade propylene glycol and a corrosion inhibitor package designed to provide: Long-lasting protection against rust, scale, and corrosion Stable thermal conductivity Wide temperature operability Food safety compliance for indirect contact In a market flooded with products, NSF certification stands as illumination of reliability and trust. Unlike many pre-inhibited glyco...

Excellent Efficiency Flocculation with Polyelectrolyte

Polyelectrolytes are regarded as polymer chains with an electrolyte group on every repeat unit. When dissolved in a polar solvent, these polymers are charged due to dissociation of small counter ions that leave behind a charged macro ion. Polyelectrolytes include biologically important molecules such as polypeptides and DNA. These are referred to as polymers that are generally used for water purification. These are highly noted for their beneficiary nature of handling problems of slow settling of flocs in water at low temperature, treating soft colored water where they increase toughness of the flocs and enhance its settlement ability. Polyelectrolytes are formulated in a way so as to be used as coagulants and flocculants as well as a sludge dewatering agent in the waste water treatment plants. P olyelectrolyte , thereby, plays an indispensable part in the sludge conditioner formulation. Generally flocculation occurs owing to charges present on the particles. Generally, Pol...