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Immunity and infection prevention

Home, hospital and surroundings

The main article (“Hand hygiene and your home”) gives the basics of protection. This topic looks at the places where you live and are treated: your home, the hospital room and the risks around them.

Last updated: ~1 min read
A living room with an open window.
Figure 1.An airy, clean home.

01Short answer

Your home does not need to be sterile; ordinary cleaning is enough. Regularly wipe surfaces that are touched often (door handles, phones, remote controls), air the rooms, change bed linen regularly and keep the bathroom dry, because mould grows in damp. Dusty jobs (renovation, sweeping, emptying the vacuum cleaner) should be done by others while you are out of the room. Building sites are a source of mould spores. In hospital, people at high risk (for example during a transplant) may stay in rooms with filtered air (HEPA); staff follow hand hygiene. You can also ask staff and visitors to clean their hands.

02Simple explanation

Clean, not sterile, at home.

Dust and mould: the main risks.

In hospital: filtered air.

03Scientific explanation

HEPA filters: trap mould spores in the air; used in high-risk settings such as allogeneic transplant.

Building work: construction in hospitals and homes is linked to the risk of Aspergillus infection.

04What happens in the body?

An airy home

Fresh air and ordinary cleaning keep a home safe.

A protected room

Filtered air and a closed door protect you during the highest-risk period.

A calm room with an air filter.
Figure 2.A room with filtered air.

Building dust

Stay away from building sites, because spores spread through the air.

A building site behind a fence.
Figure 3.Away from building dust.

05A safe space

Four steps.

Cleaning — Wipe surfaces.1CleaningWipe surfaces.
Air — Ventilate.2AirVentilate.
Dust — Avoid it.3DustAvoid it.
Room — A protected room.4RoomA protected room.

06Rules for home and hospital

PlaceWhat to do
Kitchen and bathroomKeep dry; someone else cleans mould
BedroomChange linen, air the room
RenovationIn another room or at another time
Hospital roomKeep the door closed, hand hygiene
SurroundingsAvoid building sites and dusty places

07Key terms

HEPA
A high-efficiency air filter.
Mould
A fungus that grows in damp.
Spore
A reproductive particle of a fungus.
Disinfection
Killing germs on surfaces.
Isolation
Protecting a patient in a separate room.

08Key points

  • Your home does not need to be sterile.
  • Wipe surfaces touched often.
  • Avoid damp and mould.
  • Let others do dusty jobs.
  • Stay away from building work.
  • Follow the rules in hospital.

09Frequently asked questions

Can I keep house plants?

Plants in soil can be a risk; ask your team (“Animals, plants and soil”).

Can I vacuum?

During long neutropenia, ask someone else to do it.

Can I leave my room?

Follow your team’s rules; sometimes a mask is needed.

10Questions for your doctor

Take these questions to your appointment. The ones you save are collected on the “My questions” page and stay on this device only.

  1. Can I keep house plants?

  2. Can I vacuum?

  3. Can I leave my room?

My questions

12Sources

  1. World Health Organization (WHO). Hand hygiene
  2. American Cancer Society. Infections in People with Cancer
  3. National Cancer Institute (NCI). Infection and Neutropenia during Cancer Treatment
  4. World Health Organization (WHO). Vaccines and immunization: What is vaccination?
  5. The Lancet Infectious Diseases (ECIL 7), 2019. Vaccination of patients with haematological malignancies who did not have transplantations: guidelines from the 2017 European Conference on Infections in Leukaemia (ECIL 7)
  6. MedlinePlus (U.S. National Library of Medicine). Shingles
  7. Allergy, Asthma & Clinical Immunology, 2018. Marshall JS et al. An introduction to immunology and immunopathology
  8. InformedHealth.org (IQWiG). What is an inflammation?
  9. National Cancer Institute (NCI). NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms: inflammation
  10. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Healthy Habits: Antibiotic Do’s and Don’ts
Medical disclaimerThis information is for educational purposes only and does not replace medical advice.
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