相信很多人都有过这样的经历：穿着在外奔波了一天的衣服和裤子，回家后直接往沙发或床上一坐一躺，心里偶尔会泛起一丝不安。

Many of us have been there: coming home after a long day out, still wearing the same clothes we had on outside, and plopping down on the sofa or bed — only to feel a slight twinge of unease.

问题来了，这种健康担忧有必要吗？穿着外裤能直接坐在床上吗？今天，我们就来深入探讨一下。

大多数健康人不用过于担心

对于大多数健康人而言，通过日常外出衣物感染传染性疾病的概率很低。

虽然理论上衣物可能在疾病传播中扮演“中间”角色，但它的重要性尚不明确，而且总体风险很小。

For the general population, the likelihood of contracting an infectious disease from daily clothing is very low. Although clothing can theoretically act as an intermediary in disease transmission, its actual role is limited and the overall risk remains small.

1 .需要足够数量的病原体

大多时候，外衣上存在的极少量病原体并不足以让人生病，一般都要达到一定的数量才能引发感染。

Simply coming into contact with a small number of pathogens is usually not enough to cause illness — a certain threshold must be reached.

2 .病原体存活时间有限

不少导致呼吸道和胃肠道疾病的病原体在体外存活的时间并不长。一项针对新冠病毒的建模研究发现，病毒在棉质衣物上会比较快地失活，甚至，仅乘车通勤后回家，衣物上有传染性的病毒量就可能减少80%之多。

Most pathogens don't survive long on fabrics. One study on COVID-19 showed that the virus became inactive relatively quickly on cotton — with up to 80% of infectious viral particles disappearing after a typical commute.

3 .衣物纤维的“吸附”作用

衣物的纤维可以在一定程度上“锁住”病毒和细菌颗粒，让它们不那么容易通过接触转移到人的手上或其他表面。

Clothing fibers also tend to trap viruses and bacteria, reducing transfer to skin or surfaces.

4 .传播效率远低于直接吸入

主流观点认为，与直接吸入感染者咳嗽或打喷嚏产生的飞沫相比，衣物上附着的病原体“生物利用度”要低得多。

Inhaling droplets from a cough or sneeze poses a much higher risk than indirect exposure through clothing. Studies have shown that airborne exposure from particles shaken off clothing is hundreds of times lower than direct exposure in a shared space — essentially negligible.

要注意的特殊情况

和普通外衣不同，医务人员的白大褂则是公认的传播载体。

Unlike regular clothing, doctors' white coats are known carriers of pathogens.

研究发现，医护人员的白大褂上经常会沾染上耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌（MRSA）、万古霉素耐药肠球菌（VRE）等致病菌。类似地，针对护士白大褂的研究显示，50%的样本都有致病菌污染，包括金黄色葡萄球菌、大肠杆菌等。

Studies show that medical coats often harbor MRSA, VRE, and other pathogens. Research on nurses' uniforms found that about 50 percent were contaminated with bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus and E. coli.

个别特殊职业和情况下的外衣，也比普通人要有更高的传播风险。

比如，处理垃圾的工人的工作服就比较脏。甚至有学者统计过，从他们的工作服检测出了275种真菌和54种不同的细菌。

Certain occupations also carry higher risks of contamination. For example, waste collectors' uniforms can be extremely contaminated.

上面这些微生物不一定致病，但如果是遇到一些偶然情况，比如家庭成员免疫功能低下，则可能会出现医学上说的“机会感染”。

If a household member is immunocompromised, changing outdoor clothes can help prevent opportunistic infections.

最后，要是遇到衣物被体液、呕吐物弄脏，要立即更换和清洗。如果皮肤有开放性伤口、烧伤等情况，护理上也要特别注意。

If clothing is soiled by bodily fluids or vomit, it should be changed and washed immediately. People with open wounds or burns should take extra care.

另一个风险：可能携带过敏源

外衣还有另一个被忽略的风险，那就是许多常见的过敏原（例如花粉）会通过外衣“搭便车”进入我们的家中。

While clothing itself poses little infection risk, allergens like pollen can hitch a ride indoors.

如果你是季节性过敏（例如花粉过敏）患者，可以采取下面的措施来预防：

• 回家后立即脱掉外衣
  
  Take off your outdoor clothes as soon as you get home.
• 定期用吸尘器清洁布质家具
  
  Vacuum upholstered furniture regularly.
• 由于花粉也会附着在人的皮肤、头发甚至眉毛上，在花粉季外出时可以考虑戴上帽子和太阳镜，且回家后洗头、洗脸。
  
  Since pollen can also cling to skin, hair, and eyebrows, wear a hat and sunglasses outdoors during pollen season, and wash your hair and face after returning home.
  

比外衣更直接的传播途径，有这些：



无论病原体来自哪里，良好的手卫生是阻断传播链、保护自己和家人的最有效、最简单的方法之一。

No matter the source of pathogens, proper hand hygiene is one of the simplest and most effective ways to block transmission.

编辑：李涵萌

实习生：靳佳欣

来源：新华网