Contagious Caregivers

Abstract

Many infectious diseases are unwittingly transmitted in different ways from one individual to another. Physicians are particularly prone to carrying microbes around since they come into contact with many people who are infected by a myriad of bacteria and viruses. Although doctors take precautions to avoid spreading disease from patient to patient, sometimes hand washing and surgical masks are not enough. Inadvertent spread of infections between patients is not uncommon; it is no wonder that a hospital is a great place to catch a cold or even a more serious, potentially fatal disease. There is no way for doctors to eliminate entirely the possibility of spreading diseases from one person to another – it just goes with the territory. Willfully exposing patients to serious infections, however, is much more serious and may result in civil litigation and even criminal prosecution.