New research published in the American Journal of Infection Control found that microbes can spread quickly in outpatient clinics.
Researchers placed harmless viral tracers on patient room door handles and a front desk pen. Staff hands, patient hands and facility fomites were sampled and tested after two, three and a half and six hours.
Here are the key study takeaways:
1. The virus was detected on all surfaces and hands sampled after two, three and half and six hours.
2. The exam room door handles and nurses' station chair arms had the highest concentration of the virus.
3. "Microbes spread quickly in an outpatient clinic, reaching maximum contamination levels two hours after inoculation, with the highest contamination on examination room door handles and nurses' station chairs. This study emphasizes the importance of targeted disinfection of high-touch surfaces," the researchers concluded.