Direct and Indirect Transmission Examples
1. Direct Transmission
Direct transmission means a person was exposed to a pathogen by touching another person; hugging, kissing, handshakes, and cuddling are all ways pathogens can be directly transmitted.
2. Indirect Transmission
When a person gets sick from indirect transmission this means two people did not touch. To be exposed to germs indirectly means that germs have gotten onto another object like a door handle, coffee cup, pen, pencil, shared , etc.
If someone sneezes or coughs, touches an object, and a 2nd person touches the same object the person got germs on, this is indirect transmission because two people were not touching.
Coffee with Mom
Jacob is feeling a little sick. He thinks it is allergies from spring. Flowers are blooming. Trees are growing. He sneezes a lot. He coughs a lot. His throat feels sore. Allergens are not the same as pathogens. He does not think he is sick with a pathogen. He thinks he is sick with an allergen.
He wants to see his mother. He meets her at a coffee shop. She gets coffee with cream and sugar in it. He wants to try the coffee with cream and sugar. He drinks from my mother's cup and gives the coffee cup back to her. She drinks from the same cup. Three days later she tells me she is sick.
Jacob did not hug or kiss his mother. He did not touch his mom. She got sick from the germs on the coffee cup.
Check your understanding. Questions?
Joe has not seen his brother in a long time. Joe's brother name is Jack. Joe is getting over a cold. To get over a cold means a person stops feeling sick. He has a little bit of a runny nose, but he feels a lot better than he did yesterday. He calls his brother and plans to meet him at a park.
When they see each other they give each other a hug. They talk for two hours. They talk about good food to eat. They talk about their mother and father. They laugh. They eat hot dogs on the grill.
Three days after Jack feels sick. He coughs and sneezes. He has a runny nose.
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How a Handshake Transmits Germs
Joe has an interview for a new job. He is happy he gets to meet a new person. When he meets his potential new boss, he shakes her hand.
“Hi my name is Joe. I am here to interview for the new job.”
“Yes, my name is Jessica, welcome! Nice to meet you.”
Two days later Jessica is sick. She coughs and sneezes.
“I will never shake hands with anyone again! I don't like being sick!”
When people shake hands, their hands are touching. If one person is sick, the germs from one hand go to the other hand. This is an example of direct transmission.
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Two Children Transmit Germs
Two children are playing. They are coloring with pencils and markers. One child is sick. The other child is not sick. One child sneezes and coughs on their hands. The germs in the saliva and mucus get on the pencils and markers. The other child gets sick two days later.
Check your understanding. Answer Questions.
Germs Transmitted from Teacher to Students
A teacher sneezes and coughs into their hands. Germs from saliva and mucus are on the teacher's hands.
The teacher opens the door and touches the doorhandle. The students come to school and one student opens the same door.
The germs from the door handle get on the student's hands from the teacher. Two days later the student calls the teacher and says, “I don't feel good. I am coughing and sneezing. I will not be at school today.”
This is indirect transmission because the door handle is an object shared by object. The door handle is the shared object.