5. Living In Crowded or Unhygienic Conditions
Like being in a hospital, staph spreads faster in crowded or unhygienic living conditions. Unlike in normal household situations where each household member may have their own room, staph spreads quicker in close living conditions such as dorms, military barracks, navy shipping vessels, migrant camps and the like. The defining feature is the lack of physical barriers separating people, such as having to share sleeping quarters, and lack of hygiene.
Lack of hygiene may be obvious, such as in an informal camp, where access to running water may be compromised and soap or antifungals non-existent. But it can also be in the form of shared mattresses and linen which is not changed often enough, sharing soap or razors, or even a lack of adequate ventilation. To spread, there needs to be one infected person, and another with lowered immunity barriers who are susceptible to the bacteria, Lowered immunity barriers are often at play not only because of a lack of access to adequate healthcare, but also a lack of wholesome, nutritious food.