Floor Contamination and Infection Control in Healthcare

Angie Szumlinski
|
December 17, 2024
Medical personnel cleaning a floor.

We all do it—come on, you do too! You drop that delectable piece of Godiva chocolate on the floor, pick it up, call “5-second rule,” and enjoy it, right? Well, maybe we should think twice, especially if we work in healthcare settings where viruses love to thrive. A recent study published in Cambridge University Press examined floor contamination and infection control in healthcare settings. Researchers collected floor swabs weekly from healthcare worker-only areas, like staff locker rooms, and the results were alarming SARS-CoV-2 burden on the floor was associated with COVID-19 cases and outbreaks in two acute care hospitals: a prospective cohort study | Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology | Cambridge Core.

The study’s goal was to evaluate “built environment” infection spread. It found that SARS-CoV-2 contamination on floors in healthcare worker-only areas strongly correlated with COVID-19 cases and outbreaks. During outbreak periods, 54% of floor swabs tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, dropping to 22% during non-outbreak periods. While environmental surveillance, like wastewater testing, is now common post-pandemic, it doesn’t provide insights into specific healthcare units.

Researchers suggest that floor swabbing, an easy and inexpensive tool, could become a key method to assess contamination in healthcare environments. The longer an infection goes undiagnosed, the more opportunities it has to spread due to delayed treatment and containment. Maybe it’s time to reevaluate your surveillance practices. Engage your laboratory provider in conversations—they’re the testing experts! And don’t forget talk to your medical director and always change your shoes before leaving work!

Stay well and stay informed!


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