According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data, for the first time since 1997, when flu data was first tracked, 8% of visits to medical professionals were related to the flu or a flu-like illness as we ended the calendar year of 2025. It seems flu season has been hitting harder every year.
For hospital professionals working across Sterile Processing, the Operating Room, and other clinical areas, the risk can feel unavoidable. Between handling contaminated instruments, working in close quarters, and navigating busy healthcare environments, exposure to viruses like influenza is part of the job. The good news? There are practical, evidence-based steps hospital professionals can take to reduce the risk of getting sick, and more importantly, bringing illness home to their families.
This flu season, staying healthy isn’t just about what happens outside of work. It’s about small, consistent habits on the job and at home that add up to meaningful protection.
Hospital professionals, including those in SPD, the OR, and procedural areas, are essential to patient safety, but the nature of the work comes with increased exposure risks. Handling used instruments, touching shared equipment, moving between clean and dirty areas, and interacting with colleagues across shifts all increase the number of surfaces (and people) encountered each day.
Protecting yourself at work is important, but protecting your family starts with what you do before you leave the hospital. Here are the top ways to protect yourself and your family from bringing the flu virus home.
Change Shoes or Keep Work Shoes at Work
One of the simplest and most effective habits to prevent germs from coming home is having a dedicated pair of work shoes for work use. Floors in healthcare settings can harbor pathogens, and shoes track those contaminants everywhere from break rooms to cars to living rooms.
Best practice:
There’s a reason many facilities require changing into scrubs on-site. Scrubs can pick up microorganisms throughout a shift, even when PPE is worn correctly.
If you change at work:
If you take scrubs home:
Remember to:
Some of the highest-touch items in a hospital are also the most commonly forgotten when it comes to cleaning.
Badges and Badge Clips
Your ID badge goes everywhere you do. It’s handled multiple times per shift and often rests against scrubs or skin.
Pens and Small Tools
Pens, markers, and small hand tools are shared, dropped, and reused constantly.
Phones and Personal Devices
If phones are permitted in certain areas, they can quickly become contaminated.
Workplace habits are critical, but personal health plays an equally important role during flu season.
While no supplement replaces good infection control, maintaining overall health helps your body fight illness.
Staying healthy when working in the hospital isn’t just an individual responsibility; it’s a team effort. When professionals take precautions seriously, it protects coworkers, patients, and families alike.
This flu season, small changes can have a big impact. Because protecting patients starts with protecting yourself and the people waiting for you at home. Stay healthy this season!