How can I avoid infection after my lung transplant?

Preventing infection is mostly common sense. Protect yourself by following these simple guidelines:

• Wash your hands with soap and water often to remove bacteria and viruses, and keep your hands away from your face and mouth. You should wash your hands when you come in from outdoors, before you prepare food, before you eat, after working with papers, after cleaning, and after using the bathroom.
• When you cough or sneeze, use tissues, dispose of them immediately, and wash your hands. 
• If someone you know has a cold or the flu, avoid close contact. Don't hesitate to tell your friends about your special situation and ask that they postpone visiting when they are ill. 
• Shower instead of bathe, and practice good personal hygiene. 
• Maintain a well-balanced diet. Wash before and after handling food. You can even use a small amount of soap when cleaning fruits and vegetables. Avoid raw eggs, raw shellfish, and raw meats; they can harbor bacteria. Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. Don't eat foods whose freshness is in question. 
• It's fine to live with pets, but you must be able to delegate cleaning the birdcage, changing the cat's litter, and cleaning up after the dog to someone else. 
• Avoid stagnant water because it, too, harbors bacteria. This includes denture cups, flower vases, soap dishes, and fresh water ponds. 
• Swimming in chlorinated pools is permitted. 
• No gardening should be done. 
• Wear a respiratory mask in crowded public areas and hospitals.