Mansoura University Community Health Nursing

Faculty of Nursing Occupational Health

Master Infection prevention and Control 3rd semester
2021-2022

Prepared by:
Aya Mohamed Refaat
Ehsan Reda
Eman Abdallah
Yasmin Ismael
Under supervision:
Prof. Dr/ Samia Mahmoud
Dr/Hanan Gad.
Community Health Nursing Mansoura University

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Outlines
Introduction
Types of airborne diseases
Common Symptoms in airborne diseases
 Covid-19
 Common cold
 Influenza
 Chicken pox
 Mumps
 Measles
 Whooping cough
 Tuberculosis (TB)
 Diphtheria
Preventing airbornee infection
References

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Introduction
Hospital-acquired infection (HAI) is an important public health
issue with unacceptable levels of morbidity and mortality, over the
last 5 years.
Disease can be transmitted by air (over large distances), by
direct/indirect contact or a combination of both routes. While contact
transmission of disease forms the majority of HAI cases, transmission
through the air is harder to control, but one where the engineering
sciences can play an important role in limiting the spread. This forms
the focus of this themed volume
You can catch some diseases simply by breathing. These are called
airborne diseases.

Airborne disease can spread when people with certain infections

cough, sneeze, or talk, spewing nasal and throat secretions into the air.
Some viruses or bacteria take flight and hang in the air or land on
other people or surfaces.

When you breathe in airborne pathogenic organisms, they take up

residence inside you. You can also pick up germs when you touch a
surface that harbors them, and then touch your own eyes, nose, or
mouth. Because these diseases travel in
the air, they’re hard to control.

Types of airborne diseases

Many diseases are spread through the air, including these:

Coronavirus or COVID-19:-

A rapidly spreading coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2,

and the disease it causes, COVID-19 , has been responsible for

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millions of infections and hundreds of thousands of deaths globally in
2020. Information on coronavirus and COVID-19 is constantly being
updated as a result.

While the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 is not generally

considered to be airborne,
In usual situations, SARS-CoV-2 is spread through respiratory
droplets after a person coughs or sneezes, but these droplets are larger
than what is considered airborne.

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough,

fatigue, and shortness of breath. If you experience these symptoms,
see a doctor immediately.

Common cold

The common cold is a viral infection

of your nose and throat (upper respiratory tract). It's usually harmless,
although it might not feel that way. Many types of viruses can cause a
common cold , but it’s usually a rhinovirus.
Healthy adults can expect to have two or three colds each year.
Infants and young children may have even more frequent colds.
Most people recover from a common cold in a week or 10 days.
Generally, you don't need medical attention for a common cold.
However, if symptoms don't improve or if they get worse, see your
doctor.

 Signs and symptoms, which can vary

from person to person, might include:
Runny or stuffy nose
 Sore throat
 Cough
 Congestion

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  Slight body aches or a mild headache
 Sneezing
 Low-grade fever
 Generally feeling unwell
The discharge from your nose may start out clear and become thicker
and yellow or green as a common cold runs its course. This doesn't
usually mean you have a bacterial infection.

Influenza

Is very contagious viral infection caused by influenza A -B -C and

characterized by high fever, body aching, chilling, tiredness, cough
and sore throat and can spread from one person to others through
respiratory infection, so Its spreads so easily because it’s contagious
about a day before you notice the first symptoms.

Incubation period: 1-4 days; average 2 days. Communicability: Childs

infected with flu shed virus and may be able to infect others from 1-2
days before getting sick to 5 to7 days after .If you have a weakened
immune system for any reason, you can spread it to others longer than
that.

There are many strains of the flu, and they are constantly changing.
That makes it difficult for your body to develop immunities.

Chickenpox

Chickenpox is caused by the varicella-zoster virus. If you have

chickenpox, you can spread it for a day or two before you get the
telltale rash. It takes up to 21 days after exposure for the disease to
develop.

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Most people get chickenpox only once, and then the virus goes
dormant. Should the virus reactivate later in life, you get a painful
skin condition called shingles.

If you haven’t had chickenpox, you can contract it from someone with
shingles.

Mumps

Is acute infectious viral disease characterized by:

 Generalized infection (viraemia).

 Localization of infection in the salivary glands –commonly the

parotids- CNS and some glands of the body.

Mumps is another very contagious viral disease. You can spread it

before symptoms appear and for up to 5 days after.

The incubation period of mumps is 12 to 25 days, but Parotitis

typically develops 16 to 18 days after exposure to mumps
virus.
The prodromal symptoms are nonspecific, and include
myalgia, anorexia, malaise, headache, and low-grade fever.

Measles

Measles is a very contagious disease, particularly in crowded

conditions.

The virus that causes measles can remain active in the air or on
surfaces for up to 2 hours. You’re able to transmit it to others up to 4
days before and 4 days after the measles rash appears.

Incubation period: About 14 days range ( 7- 21 days)

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Most people get the measles only once. Measles is a leading cause of
death among children worldwide and was responsible for 140,000
deaths in 2018. It’s estimated that the measles vaccine prevented
around 23 million deaths from 2000 to 2018.

The disease occurs mostly in people who haven’t been vaccinated.

There were 1,282 cases reported in 2019. As of March 2, 2020, there
have been 12 confirmed cases in 2020.

Whooping cough (pertussis)

Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a highly contagious

respiratory disease. It is caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis.
Pertussis is known for uncontrollable, violent coughing which often
makes it hard to breathe.

After cough fits , someone with pertussis often needs to take deep
breaths , Which result in a “Whooping “sound . pertussis can affect
people of all ages , but can be very serious , even deadly , foe babies
less than a year old.

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People with pertussis usually spread the disease to another person by
coughing or sneezing or when spending a lot of time near one another
where you share breathing space.

Tuberculosis (TB)

TB, also known as consumption, is an airborne disease. This is a

bacterial infection that doesn’t spread easily. You generally have to be
in close contact with a person who has it for a long time.

You can contract TB without becoming ill or transmitting it to others.

About 1.4 billion people worldwide have TB. Most aren’t sick.
About 10 million people worldwide have active TB.

People with a weakened immune system have the greatest risk of

developing the disease. Symptoms can appear within days of
exposure. For some, it takes months or years to activate.

When the disease is active, bacteria rapidly multiply and attack the
lungs. It can spread through your bloodstream and lymph nodes to
other organs, bones, or skin.

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Diphtheria

Diphtheria is a serious infection caused by strains of bacteria called

Corynebacterium diphtheria that make toxin (poison). It can lead to
difficulty breathing, heart failure, paralysis, and even death.

Diphtheria is usually spread between people by direct contact

or through the air It may also be spread by contaminated
objects. Some people carry the bacterium without having symptoms,
but can still spread the disease to others.

Common Symptoms in airborne diseases:

Airborne diseases usually result in one or more of the following
symptoms:

 inflammation of your nose, throat, sinuses, or lungs

 coughing
 sneezing
 congestion
 runny nose
 sore throat
 swollen glands
 headache
 body aches
 loss of appetite
 fever
 fatigue

Chickenpox causes an itchy rash that

usually starts on your chest, face, and back
before spreading over the rest of your body.

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Within a few days, fluid-filled blisters form. The blisters burst and
scab over in about a week.

The measles rash can take as long as 7 to 18 days to appear after

you’ve been exposed. It generally starts on your face and neck, and
then spreads over the course of a few days. It fades within a week.

Whooping cough gets its name from its main symptom, a severe
hacking cough, which is usually followed by a forceful intake of air.

TB symptoms vary depending on which organs or body systems are

affected and may include coughing up sputum or blood.

Diphtheria can cause marked swelling in your neck.

This can make it difficult to breathe and swallow.

Complications from airborne diseases are more likely

to affect the very young, the very old, and people with
a compromised immune system.

Preventing airborne infection

The Hierarchy of Controls is a system used to deploy effective
controls within an organization, workplace, or community to identify
the most effective ways to control a hazard.

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Control Methods :
Elimination : Remove the hazard

Hazard elimination refers to altering a task or process to entirely

remove the threat of a potential hazard. This is the most effective way
to address a hazard. For example;

 Stay home, work remotely and avoid public areas

 Work on-campus and avoid occupied/public areas. Avoid use of
shared equipment and spaces.
 Virtual appointments, meetings, site visits, and training through
the use of web conferencing applications (Zoom, Skype), or
video calls (WhatsApp, FaceTime).
 Consider if it is necessary to be in-person. Examples where it
is/may be necessary include healthcare workers seeing patients,
food preparation/service, cashiers.
Substitution : Replace the Hazard with a Less Dangerous Substitute
 Outdoor rehearsals could be substituted for indoor ones, always
following additional administrative controls (e.g. distancing
requirements) and PPE guidelines.

Engineering Controls: Isolate People from the Hazard

Engineering controls are favoured over administrative and personal
protective equipment (PPE) for controlling existing worker exposures
in the workplace because they are designed to remove the hazard at
the source, before it comes in contact with the worker.
Well-designed engineering controls can be highly effective in
protecting workers and will typically be independent of worker
interactions to provide this high level of protection.
Examples for engineering controls :

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  Get vaccinated with an FDA-approved CVOID-19 vaccine.
 Routine Use of EPA-Registered Disinfectants To be effective
you need disinfection procedures for facilities, shared equipment
and spaces, work area, and personal electronics
 Barriers, partitions, ropes to separate employees from public
or building occupants, e.g. plexiglass screens, sneeze guards,
theater ropes and stanchions, hazard warning tape, etc.
 Use of biosafety cabinets when performing research.
 Drive-thru style partitions and windows
 Hands-free trash receptacles, soap and towel dispensers, door
openers, and other similar hands-free equipment.
 Handles, push-buttons, and other high touch points made of
copper or coated with copper tape.
 Create isolated spaces/workstations for employees or students
with immune deficiency.

Administrative Controls: change the way people work.

 Social Distancing Requirements – Maintain a six feet distance

from others, if you are unable to maintain distance you shall
wear a mask.
 Use floor markings and other barrier types to promote
distancing.

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 Cough and Sneeze Etiquette Procedure – Using your sleeve is a
good way to cover your sneeze or cough with smaller risks of
contamination

 Proper Hand Hygiene and Control Procedure:

 Do not touch eyes, nose, mouth, and face.
 Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water for
20-30 seconds. In the absence of soap and water
use alcohol-based hand sanitizer (≥60% alcohol).
Hand sanitizer is not a replacement for good
hand hygiene, wash your hands as soon as possible.
 Disinfection procedures for specific operations, facilities, and/or
work areas.
 Signage to communicate social distancing, cough and sneeze
etiquette, proper hand hygiene and control, and other critical
procedures.
 Employee health monitoring Formalizes the stay home if your
sick or have had contact with a person known to test positive for
COVID-19
 Stay home if you have symptoms of illness
 If you are at work and you develop symptoms of an
illness, distance yourself from others, contact your
supervisor, go home, and remain home until symptom-
free.
 Employee Health Protection Procedure
 Restart Checklists. To enable consistency in our restart efforts.
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  Modified interactions or screening procedures with customers,
public, students, or employees with
the intent to minimize exposure to anyone of those groups.
 Shift Change Procedures:
 Have people coming in half time or stagger the work
hours.
 Look at existing high-density areas and ask half of staff to
work on site certain days with virtual
meetings.
 Stagger workdays and hours so only 1 out of 2
workspaces is occupied on any day or portion of
day.
 Stagger start times to avoid bottlenecks at the entrance.

Personal Protective Equipment: Protect the worker with

PPE
 Airborne diseases related PPE requirement currently exist for
Patient Care , Person Under Investigation Transport, Isolation
Room Entry, and Research.
 Respiratory Protection Program
Requirements apply to all employees who
wish to don a respirator.
 N95 respirators and KN95 respirators are
critical supplies that must be reserved for
healthcare workers, first responders and those performing high-
risk tasks in direct support of the continuity of healthcare, public
safety or essential research.
o Always follow PPE Donning and Doffing order of
operations.
o Always follow facial hair guidance to ensure proper seal of
mask.
 Consult and don manufacturer’s PPE requirements for
disinfectant products prior to use.

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Community Protective Equipment (Face Coverings and
Masks)
 Face Coverings and Masks are to be worn as a community effort
to prevent asymptomatic carriers of COVID-19 from spreading
the virus.
 Face coverings and masks should:

 Fit snugly but comfortably against

the side of the face
 Be secured with ties or ear loops
 Include multiple layers of fabric
 Allow for breathing without restriction
 Be able to be laundered and machine dried without
damage or change to shape
 Wearing such face coverings shall not be used in lieu of other
control methods and users must be vigilant about:
Clean hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based

hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol prior to putting
on, touching mask while wearing it, and removing a cloth
face covering.
 Wearing N95 Respirators or other face masks with exhalation
valves is not permitted as a face covering. Such respirators and
masks are not effective in reducing the spread of COVID-19.
 Discard or wash cloth face coverings after each use.
 Do not wear a cloth face covering when it is damp or when wet
from spit or mucus.
 When removing the cloth face covering, remove it from behind,
do not touch the front.

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References :
https://ehs.cornell.edu/campus-health-safety/occupational-
health/covid-19/covid-19-hierarchy-controls
https://journals.lww.com/joem/Fulltext/2020/11000/How_Does_the_
Hierarchy_of_Controls_Integrate_With.23.aspx
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diphtheria
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/common-
cold/symptoms-causes/syc-20351605
https://www.openeducationportal.com/what-are-the-airborne-
diseases/
https://www.healthline.com/health/airborne-diseases
https://www.google.com/search?q=Common+Symptoms+in+airborne
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cCegQIABAA&oq=Common+Symptoms+in+airborne+diseases&gs_
lcp=CgNpbWcQAzoHCCMQ7wMQJzoECAAQQ1DqBlj_I2DJKmg
AcAB4AIABmgGIAZIMkgEEMC4xMpgBAKABAaoBC2d3cy13aX
otaW1nwAEB&sclient=img&ei=43WFYZuIGMTyabaai6AD&bih=6
64&biw=1519&hl=en#imgrc=OFid5ddDMBJD7M

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