Sharing the same towel or handkerchief
This is the single fastest route conjunctivitis takes through a household. The discharge from an infected eye, whether bacterial or viral, transfers to fabric immediately and survives there long enough to reach the next person who touches it. A 2022 review published in the Indian Journal of Ophthalmology noted that contact with contaminated fomites, including shared cloth, is among the primary drivers of conjunctivitis clusters in community settings. Every member of the household needs a separate towel during an outbreak. Handkerchiefs should be washed in hot water after each use or replaced with disposable tissue.
