Spread of Germs in an Office Environment:

• Patient Zero: An employee arrives sick (coughing, sneezing) - the source of the germs.

• Hand-to-Surface Contact: The sick employee touches their face (eyes, nose, mouth) transferring germs to their hands. They then touch common surfaces like keyboards, desks, doorknobs, or printers, leaving germs behind.

• Surface-to-Hand Contact: Healthy employees touch the contaminated surfaces, picking up the germs on their hands.

• Hand-to-Face Contact: Unwittingly, healthy employees touch their faces (eyes, nose, mouth) with contaminated hands, allowing the germs to enter their bodies.

• Shared Items: Using shared items like coffee mugs, phones, or office supplies can also facilitate the spread of germs, especially if someone sick has used them recently.

• Airborne Transmission: Sneezes and coughs propel germ-laden droplets through the air, potentially infecting those nearby.

• Break Room Hotspots: The break room, with its microwave, toaster ovens, refrigerators, shared food, drinks, and close contact, can become a breeding ground for germs if proper hygiene isn't practiced.

• Spreading Through Teams: Germs can quickly spread through close-knit teams who share workspaces or have frequent meetings.

• Domino Effect: As more employees become infected, the cycle of hand-to-surface and surface-to-hand contact continues, exponentially increasing the number of sick individuals.