🦠 The Journey of the Germ: How Infections Really Spread

Contrary to what you may read in the press, germs don’t move on their own. They hitch a ride – on hands, cloths, utensils, and surfaces. And when they reach the wrong person at the wrong time, they can cause illness.

Food poisoning, flu, stomach bugs—these aren’t “acts of God,” “bugs going round,” or “just one of those things.” They’re preventable. Someone, somewhere, could have stopped the germ in its tracks.

🚶‍♂️ What Is the Journey of the Germ?

The “journey of the germ” describes how microbes travel from their source to a person’s body, where they cause infection. Some germs target the gut, others the lungs, throat, or nose. Some infect broken skin or intimate areas.

Each journey is different—but with a little insider knowledge, you can stop them.

🛑 It’s Not Inevitable

It may seem as though if one person in your household gets sick, everyone else will too. But that’s not true! Here is a story about how we prevented ‘flu infecting our family.

Years ago, my 14-year-old son got the ‘flu. He was so sick he couldn’t even lift a can of Coke. (The saying also goes: If you can’t pick up a £50 note from the floor, you’ve got flu—not a cold!)

But no one else in our house got sick. Why? Because we broke the journey of the germ.

🧼 What We Did

• 🛏️ He stayed in his room (ventilated, of course).
• 🧴 Anyone who entered washed their hands immediately after leaving.
• 🧽 Surfaces he touched—bannisters, taps, door handles, light switches, flush handles—were disinfected every time.
• 🧺 He had his own towel (different colour).
• 🍽️ Glasses, crockery, and cutlery went straight into the dishwasher.

Result? No one else got ill.

✅ Action Plan: Break the Journey of the Germ

Here’s how you can stop cold and ‘flu germs from spreading in your home:

• 🛏️ Keep the sick person in one place, ideally a ventilated room.
• 🧼 Wash your hands after helping or visiting them.
• 🍽️ Wash crockery and cutlery at high temperatures, preferably in the dishwasher.
• 🧺 Wash linen and towels at high temperatures.
• 🧻 Use separate towels for the sick person.
• 🧴 Disinfect surfaces they may have touched—especially high-touch areas like taps, handles, and switches.

🧬 Final Thought

Germs don’t move on their own. We move them. And that means we can stop them.

So next time someone’s sick at home, don’t wait for the bug to “go round.”
Break the journey of the germ—and keep your household healthy. Look out for tips on how to break other germ journeys.