Our first few blog posts will be dedicated to the exciting world of dust, why dust can be dangerous and the 'art' of containment. These are the basics, the foundation, of infection and dust control.
Outside of allergens like pollen, dust mites, etc. most of these do not pose a major danger in your home if you are a healthy person. In a hospital setting however, bacteria and mold spores that infect other dust particles can be deadly for those patients who are immunocompromised (an impaired immune system cause by illness, disease and treatment) and cause hospital acquired infections.
In a hospital, this would include those receiving cancer treatments, HIV or Aids treatment, solid organ transplants, stem-cell transplantation, congential immune deficiency, chronic inflammatory conditions, neurological patients and others. For these patients dust containment as an infection control practice is critical to their well-being.
Our next post will discuss the basics of filtration, the HEPA standard and what it means.