The extent of bacterial transfer into the clean confines of the operating room (OR) was studied by comparing the use of protective footwear (i.e., polypropylene shoe covers and OR restricted shoes) with unprotected street shoes over a 5-week period. The study was divided into two experimental times: (a) early morning (disinfected floor) and (b) midmorning (dirty floor). Data obtained from the early morning experiment showed that OR restricted shoes and shoe covers transferred fewer bacteria onto the disinfected study area than unprotected street shoes; similar findings were obtained from the midmorning experiment for shoe covers, but not for OR restricted shoes.

Recent research seems to confirm what common sense already tells us -- that items which contact the floor are contaminated and could serve as vectors; despite daily cleaning of high-touch surfaces such as floors, it has already been shown that bacterial and viral contamination returns rather quickly.

Infection control instructions call for use of alcohol-based hand rub solutions to inactivate severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. We determined the virucidal activity of World Health Organization–recommended hand rub formulations, at full strength and multiple dilutions, and of the active ingredients. All disinfectants demonstrated efficient virus inactivation.

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We may not think about it, but whenever you step outside, your shoes come in contact with all kinds of germs. Meaghan Murphy is always on the move. She's "Good Housekeeping" magazine's executive editor and an expert on cleanliness in the home. Most days she takes the New York City

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To determine distribution of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in hospital wards in Wuhan, China, we tested air and surface samples. Contamination was greater in intensive care units than general wards. Virus was widely distributed on floors, computer mice, trash cans, and sickbed handrails and was detected in air ≈4 m from patients.

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study which investigated germs collected on footwear, by Dr. Charles Gerba, microbiologist and professor at the University of Arizona, and The Rockport® Company, found large numbers of bacteria both on the bottom and inside of shoes; averaging 421,000 units of bacteria on the outside of the shoe and 2,887 on the inside.