Item Used by a Person with an Infectious Disease (Fomes, Pl. Fomites)

An object that was used by a person with an infectious disease (fomes, plural fomites) is any object that a person with an infectious disease has come into contact with and that may contain the causative agents of this disease. Thanks to such objects, the infection can be transmitted to healthy people.

The most common fomites are towels, bedding, dishes, door handles, money and other household items. Pathogens can survive on the surface of such objects for quite a long time. Touching them by a healthy person and subsequent contact of their hands with the mucous membranes (mouth, nose, eyes) can lead to infection.

To prevent the spread of infections through fomites, it is important to carry out regular wet cleaning and disinfection of premises and household items. Particular care must be taken to treat surfaces in crowded places - hospitals, public transport, shops. In addition, it is extremely important to observe the rules of personal hygiene - often wash your hands with soap, use antiseptics, and do not touch your face with unwashed hands.

A person cannot be isolated from society. Even during an epidemic, viral material affected by the pathogen is transmitted from a sick person to a healthy person only through contact with household objects. The concept of “object used” is often used in medicine when a patient is diagnosed with ARVI. To prevent the spread of infection, the sick person needs