For D. Salman and others with an interest in controlling infection rates in hospitals and other healthcare facilities:
You might be interested to know the company I work for (listed in my Profile) has through research identified the common stethoscope as one of the transmission vectors for infection in such settings. We have received fast track patent approval and are in contact with healthcare professionals, nurse associations and other regulators for implementing the use of our infection barrier system for stethoscopes. Folks who have a specific interest can visit our company website listed in my Profile to learn more and to inquire whether their healthcare facility might qualify for samples to test and evaluate. I appreciate your time and apologize for my original posting. This is a new forum for me and am looking forward to sharing ideas. Bill