Anna L. answered • 07/17/19
MPH in Epidemiology over half completed (May 2019 graduation date)
Colds and influenza can be spread by contact, airborne transmission, or fomites.
Contact transmission occurs when there is human-to-human contact. It can be prevented by washing your hands regularly and reducing physical touch with others!
New research is discovering that airborne transmission is also possible for influenza. That means, when you sneeze or cough, the particles you expel can be suspended in the air for several minutes. If others inhale these particles they can then contract the diseases. This can be prevented by wearing a face mask, by coughing or sneezing into your elbow, or by staying home when you're sick and avoiding public places!
Fomites are disease particles that remain on environmental surfaces and can be picked up by other individuals. For example, if you cough into your hand and then touch a doorknob, someone else can come along and touch that doorknob. If those disease particles get into their body they can contract the disease! This type of transmission can be avoided by washing your hands and by cleaning high-touch surfaces (i.e. phones, doorknobs, sink handles).
