Resources
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Glossary of Terms
Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizers
- Hand disinfectants that are available as rubs, gels or rinses.
- Widely used in health care settings after washing hands or in situations when water is not available.
- It is recommended that they contain at least 60-90 per cent alcohol in order to be effective for removing germs that cause illness.
Antibacterial Soap
- Soaps containing antibacterial agents, typically in only very small levels.
Bacteria (singular: bacterium)
- A microscopic organism that is specific in shape (spherical, rod-shaped, spiral or comma-shaped)
- Capable of causing disease, but not all types cause infection.
- The nature, severity and outcome of any infection caused by a bacterium are characteristic of that type of bacterium.
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Common Cold
- An acute disease of the upper respiratory tract marked by inflammation of the mucous membranes of the nose, throat, eyes, and ears.
- A contagious illness caused by a number of different types of viruses.
- A frequent and recurring problem because of the great number of viruses that can cause a cold; the body never builds up resistance (immunity) against all of them.
Communicable Disease
- An infection that spreads from one person to another by direct contact with the
affected person by:- an individual’s discharges (droplet spread)
- or indirect means (such as contaminated objects)
Direct Contact - Spread of Germs
- Results from close person-to-person contact when droplets from the cough or sneeze of an infected person are propelled a short distance (generally up to 3 feet) through the air and deposited on the mucous membranes of the mouth, nose or eyes of persons who are nearby.
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Disease
- A specific illness, condition or disorder characterized by:
- a recognizable set of signs and symptoms
- attributable to heredity
- attributable to infection
- attributable to diet
- attributable to environment
Germs
- Microscopic organisms that can cause disease.
- Includes viruses and some bacteria.
Hand Cleaning
- The act of removing germs from hands
- Includes handwashing and/or using hand sanitizers.
Handwashing
- The act of using soap and running water to remove germs from hands.
Healthy Hand Hygiene
- For the purpose of this initiative, healthy hand hygiene refers to all practices
that help to reduce the spread of germs that can cause illness. Includes:
- handwashing
- the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers
- coughing or sneezing into a tissue or your upper arm (not into your hands)
- keeping your hands away from your face.
Indirect Contact - Spread of Germs
- Occurs when a person touches a surface or object contaminated with infectious droplets and then touches his or her mouth, nose or eye(s).
- Germs can live up to 48 hours on inanimate surfaces such
as
- pens and pencils
- keyboards
- doorknobs
- handrails
- tables
- toys
- grocery carts
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Infection
- The invasion and multiplication of micro-organisms in the body.
Infectious Disease
- A disease caused by the entrance into the body of organisms (such as bacteria,
protozoans, fungi or viruses), which grow and multiply there.
Inlfuenza (Flu)
- A contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses.
- Usually starts suddenly causing mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death.
- The symptoms are similar to a lot of different illnesses, including the common
cold:- fever (usually high)
- headache
- tiredness (can be extreme)
- sore throat
- runny or stuff nose
- body aches
- diarrhea and vomiting can also occur, but are more common in children
- While most healthy people recover from the flu without complications, some
people, such as older people, young children, and people with certain health
conditions, are at a higher risk for serious complications from the flu.
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Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)
- Sheets designed to provide both workers and emergency personnel with the proper procedures for handling or working with a particular substance.
- Include information such as
- physical data (melting point, boiling point, flash point etc.)
- toxicity
- health effects
- first aid
- reactivity
- storage
- disposal
- protective equipment
- spill/leak procedures (are of particular use if a spill or other accident occurs)
- An MSDS reflects the hazards of working with the material in an occupational fashion.
Micro-Organism
- A tiny living organism, invisible to the naked eye, which may have the ability to cause disease.
- Bacteria and viruses are two types of micro-organisms.
Outbreak
- The occurrence of a large number of cases of a disease in a short period of time.
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Pandemic Influenza
- A strain of flu that affects humans worldwide, and spreads rapidly.
- A ‘new’ type of virus for which we will have no vaccination at the time of the outbreak, making the spread of the virus more difficult to control.
- Pandemics typically occur every 50 years or so.
Respiratory Infection
- An illness commonly caused by viruses or bacteria
- Symptoms can be:
- coughing
- sneezing
- runny nose
- headache
- chills
- tiredness
- fever
- sore muscles.
- Can lead to other illnesses such as throat infection, ear infection, sinus infection, tonsillitis and pneumonia.
- Often exacerbate existing health conditions such as asthma.
- Can be spread by direct contact, or indirect contact.9
SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome)
- A new and severe form of a respiratory infection, first reported in February
2003. - Thought to be transmitted most readily by respiratory droplets (coughing, sneezing, or by hand transmission).
- Usually begins with a
high fever - a measured temperature greater than 100.4°F [>38.0°C].
- The fever is sometimes associated with chills or other symptoms, including headache, general feeling of discomfort and body aches.
- Some people also experience mild respiratory symptoms at the outset.
- Diarrhea is seen in approximately 10 to 20 per cent of patients.
- After two to seven days, SARS patients may develop a dry, non-productive cough that might be accompanied by or progress to a condition in which the oxygen levels in the blood are low (hypoxia).
- In 10 to 20 per cent of cases patients require mechanical ventilation.
- Most patients develop pneumonia.
- In total, 8,098 people worldwide became sick with SARS during the 2003 outbreak. Of these, 774 died.
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"Superbugs"
- Commonly used to refer to bacteria that have become resistant to antibiotics.
Visibly Soiled Hands
- Hands showing visible dirt such as soil, blood or other body fluids (e.g. fecal
material or urine).
Virus
- A minute micro-organism much smaller than a bacterium which replicates only within animals or humans and are never beneficial to humans.
- More than 200 viruses have been identified as capable of causing disease in humans.
- The nature of a virus is that it can change very slightly in structure, thereby creating a new virus for which a person may not have immunity.
World Health Organization (WHO)
- The United Nations’ specialized agency for health.
- Established on April 7, 1948, WHO’s objective is the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health.
- "Health" is defined in its constitution as a state of complete physical, emotional, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
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