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Hygiene among siblings

Question
Dear CF team,
I am a female CF patient myself and have an older brother, who also suffers from CF. After having talked to my physician I pay attention to not using the same bathroom nor to be near the food of the other one if we meet at family meetings. That means, that we both do not prepare any food.
This has great conflincts as a consequence, as my brother thinks I am exaggerating. However, my physician recommended it to me. Do we really exaggerate or do we follow the right hygienic measures?
Answer
Hello,
this is not easy to answer, as many questions concerning the hygiene are. It depends indeed on some factors, that concern you and your brother.
If you have the possibility to use 2 bathrooms, this it for sure not bad and you reduce the risk of germ transmission.
In case of food it is more difficult, as a common meal has also a social function. It does not have to be preparing it together, however to avoid the food of the other being next to oneself is for sure interpreted very strictly. If one sticks to the necessary hygienic measures in case of a meal taken together, one can in my opinion allow it.
For all this rules it is true: the closer one is to the other, the more probable a transmission of germs is. We know, that it can come to a transmission during a ride in the car together. But however, even in here there are still differences: if both are sitting in the back of a small car, the risk is for sure greater as one is sitting in the front and one in the back of a bigger car or van.
Therefore my conclusion would be:
1. Separated bathrooms: good idea
2. Separated meals: in case of a normal distance between human beings and between the plates the intake of meals together is not a problem
3. Separated preparation of meals: in a very narrow kitchen the preparation can be a problem. The indirect transmission via the food itself is a smaller problem than the direct transmission from human to human (e.g. in case of coughing).
However, there are for sure other opinions among physicians and patients. It is important, that you both feel comfortable and if you and your brother will manage it differently, the other one should except it – in case if doubt one should orientate to the “more cautious one”…

Best regards,
Prof. Joachim Bargon
16.06.2015