It is believed that in medical institutions they require putting on street shoes, as this prevents the spread of pathogenic bacteria and viruses. We decided to check if this is so.

The administration of clinics and hospitals (as well as beauty salons, gyms and other institutions) require visitors to wear shoe covers. On sites manufacturers these products can be found information that the shoe covers protect people with weakened immunity in medical institutions, and not only from microbesbrought from the street, but also from chemical substancescontained in shoe treatment products. It is said about this and in Description Bachil on sites pharmacies. Some sources They saythat shoe covers, on the contrary, Protect Shoes from harmful microorganisms when visiting the hospital and, accordingly, from their further distribution outside the clinic.

Disposable shoe covers - These are protective shoes for shoes, usually made of non -woven material (for example, polyethylene). Why they can definitely be useful is to maintain the cleanliness of the floor in the premises, especially in the autumn-winter period, when puddles and slush are frequent on the street. However, the effectiveness of the shoe covers in this matter greatly depends on the type of shoes on which they are put on: most likely, shoes or stilettos on a stiletto is quickly torn thin plastic, and dirt from the sole will still fall to the floor.

A huge number of viruses and bacteria really settles on street shoes. Microbiologist Charles Coat of arms, professor at the University of Arizona, spent in 2007 experiment: I gave out ten to the participants new shoes, and two weeks later I studied their socks and boots for microbes. On the outer surface of the shoes, on average, there were 421,000 bacteria (for comparison, inside - only 2900). On the boots, they also found an intestinal stick that causes urinary tract infections and diarrhea, as well as other bacteria that provoke pneumonia and infections of the respiratory tract. It would seem that, if possible, it is worth defending himself from the entry of these bacteria into the human body, and first of all, this is relevant for patients with medical facilities with weakened immunity. However, not everything is so simple. Firstly, the shoe covers are not sealed, which means they cannot be considered a reliable barrier from microbes. Secondly, scientists who conducted research on this topic could not confirm the effectiveness of Bahil as a means of protection.

Back in 1991, British researchers conducted experiment: They asked the staff of one of the hospitals for two weeks to wear shoe covers in the operating room, and then abandon them for another two weeks. At both stages of the study, scientists have chosen five days, in which the number of bacteria on the floor in five different zones measured four times. There was no statistically significant difference in the number of microbes when wearing shoe covers and without them was detected. In 2006, similar experiment conducted Indian scientists. Unlike the British, they measured the amount of bacteria not only on the floor, but also in the air. Like their colleagues, Indian researchers failed to find any significant difference when wearing shoe covers without them.

In 2012, this question Interested Pakistani scientists. Within six months, in one of the hospitals of Islamabad, they tracked the indicators of infection, mortality and length of stay of patients entered the intensive care unit. At the same time, from January to March they refused the use of shoe covers, and from May to July, on the contrary, they strictly demanded from the staff and visitors to wear them. It turned out that at the second stage, the length of stay of patients in the hospital was lower, but the number of pathogenes infected with the most common in the intensive care units, oddly enough, is higher. Perhaps the increase is due to the fact that, putting on the shoe covers, visitors touched the shoes (which, as already mentioned earlier, really bacteria) and thus transferred pathogens to the brush, and then handed them to their sick relatives and friends literally “from hand to hand”. Statistically significant difference in mortality was not revealed. Scientists concluded that the shoe covers do not protect in any way from infections.

As for the question of whether the shoe covers can prevent the spread of infections outside the hospital, then everything is not so simple here. Firstly, as mentioned above, they are not hermetic, therefore they are not able to provide complete protection of shoes. Secondly, microbes can settle not only on the legs, but also on other clothes and open parts of the body of visitors and staff of hospitals, so it is not clear how protection only shoes can prevent the spread of infection. For example, during the Covid-19 pandemic, in order to avoid the infection and spread of the virus, employees of specialized medical institutions wore not just shoe covers, but special protective CostumesCovering almost the entire surface of the body. Before leaving the red zone, the medical staff had to remove this costume, treating his hands with an antiseptic after each element removed so as not to transfer the infection to his usual clothes. It is assumed that patients should take off the shoe covers before leaving the institution when it is no longer possible to go to the restroom and wash their hands. Not everyone carries an antiseptic with them and immediately process their hands after removing the shoe covers. Therefore, even if the shoes really remained “untouched”, the infection can get a person in his arms when he takes off his shoes, and through them on all other surfaces, to which he will touch the way home.

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“Verified” failed to find precedents or research confirming that the care products can be so poisonous and dangerous for hospital patients that it is necessary to protect themselves with shoe covers. Basic Ingredients Such products - a mixture of waxes, dyes and/or solvents - can be toxic, so they are recommended to be applied to shoes in gloves in a ventilated room, not allowing to fall into the eyes and mucous membranes and, of course, do not take inside. However, it is doubtful that the certified shoe for shoes, which was allowed to sell, could cause any harm to outsiders a considerable time after applying even without direct contact. Of course, this cannot be excluded, but such cases are with objects clothes - Some poor -quality dyes or materials in them can be toxic. Therefore, trying to protect yourself from shoes and means to care for it is probably inappropriate.

None of the authoritative medical organizations recommends to wear shoe covers, for example, when visiting patients. To protect patients from external microbes, and visitors - from nosocomial infections, specialists Recommend Wash your hands or treat them with an antiseptic before and after visiting the chamber, toilet, after touching the patient, before and after using gloves (if they were worn). It will also be useful to put on a medical mask if the infection is transmitted by airborne droplets. Do not visit patients, being patient yourself, and if you need to sneeze, you need to cover your mouth with a napkin or hand. About the same recommendations They also act for those who came to the medical facility not as a visitor, but as a patient.

Thus, shoe covers help maintain cleanliness in medical and other institutions, since in this case people do not bring street dirt on boots in the building. However, as a means of protection against microbes, they are apparently useless - this is confirmed by a number of experiments conducted by scientists from different countries. Bachils will not be able to protect healthy people outside the hospital from infections that visitors or staff can take out from there - this requires much more thorough precautions. Shoe products are also unlikely to be such a danger that they require special protection against them - at least no more than the rest of the clothes.

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