Infection control and technology in microbe-enriched environments

Around 24 million square metres of NHS premises are cleaned every day – the equivalent of approximately 3360 football pitches (Carding, 2019). Although that implies a lot of cleaning, it is worth noting that individuals release their own personalised microbial clouds, shedding about 10 million particles (>0.5 μm diameter) every hour, many of which will harbour bacteria that contribute to the microbial load of buildings (Meadow et al, 2015).

With microbe-enriched environments being the rule rather than the exception in healthcare, where patients and health professionals are in close proximity to each other, the possibility of cross-infection must be minimised. This requires implementing practices in relation to hand hygiene – the single most effective infection control measure – and personal protective equipment (NHS England and NHS Improvement, 2019).

‘With microbe-enriched environments being the rule rather than the exception in healthcare, where patients and health professionals are in close proximity to each other, the possibility of cross-infection must be minimised. This requires implementing practices in relation to hand hygiene – the single most effective infection control measure – and personal protective equipment’