LAst night 20/20 did a 40 minute segment

[stella9]

on germs. It was called the 12 myths of germs. As luck would have it, both of my kids were up and watching it with me. They kept saying "Mommy, you do that" to all the precautionary tips they gave. Maybe Mommy is not so crazy.


Some stuff is so gross. They had a few microbiologists on who test surfaces to determine and measure levels of e-coli, salmonella, strep, camploybactyr,Norwalk.They also had on a woman who wrote a book about avoiding the icky germs. She said since she wrote the book three years ago, her kids have not been sick since she practices what she preaches.


Even though I knew a lot of what they said, I did learn some things. The germiest places - phones and keyboards in offices (and schools; just think our kids all take computer classes), elevator buttons, revolving door bars, doorknobs. This woman was so funny (the one who wrote the book). She said she uses her elbows to push elevator buttons and wipes her phone and keyboards with alcohol wipes. She could be our new best friend. I want to get her book, but they said the titleso fast I could not jot it down. I will find it and let everyone here know the title and her name.


Onemicrobiologist tested some public bathrooms and concluded that the germiest place is the floor. Don't use the wall dryers because they pull the air off the floor. I knew this fact already which is why I often walk out of restrooms (on the rare occasions I use them) with wet dripping hands. Of course, the faucets are a nightmare and they suggested you use the paper towel to turn it off. The trash bins are overrun with germs. The two cleanest places believe it or not are the door to the bathroom and the toilet seat.


The microbiologist said most household kitchen sinks are germier than household toilets. He said sponges and towels are a no-no. (We have always used paper towels even though my husband bawks at it). Also food should be refrigerated ASAP. He said it is a myth to let it sit out for even a fewminutes. The faster food cools down the better chance of not allowing bacteria to grow. He said so many food borne illnesses come right out of the kitchen. Pull all of your untensils, bowls and spices outthat you need to cook- use them and then disinfect before you put them away.


Other filthy places - refrigerator doors in supermarkets, any public pens on a chain, grocery carts to name a few. Don't eat samples of food anywhere!!!! Stay away from peanuts, pretzels or other food that other put their hands in. Every test revealed fecal matter, urine, strep, and some e-coli. Movie theater seats have tested high for fecal matter on a consistent basis. Now are we really grossed out????


It was pretty interesting.


The resounding theme by all the experts on germs was hand washing.They even showed how to do it well. My kids agreed that"Mommy is pretty smart."


Now will my son just stop picking his nose already?


Stella

[bexcelica]

OH man, that is gross. I can't believe that stuff. Fecal matter in
movie theaters???? YUCK. And the hand driers in public bathrooms, yuck
yuck yuck. I always thought they were more sanitary than using paper
towels. The thing aboue sponges I've heard. I heard if you microwave
your spngue after using it, it sanitizes it. For like 15 seconds or
something. My boyfriend's mom does that all the time. My parents'
spngues aren't changed very often... That makes me nervous. Maybe I
will mention that to my mom.



Thanks Stella, very interesting

[Kazzia]

Certainly some interesting stuff there. I'm going to the cinema (movie theater! lol) with some of my friends tonight...will try and keep my hands off the seats and bury them in popcorn instead!


However I think it would be taking things to the extreme to go round disinfecting all these places and objects above. The amount of times I've used hand dryers, public keyboards, phones etc since I was last sick (over 11 years ago) is infinite, and I haven't knowingly caught anything from them. Plus a certain amount of immunity could be lost if we were too hygenic. But still, I'm not rubbishing any of the information, and I wish more people would practice basic hygeine such as hand washing after the toilet, and especially taking more care in the kitchen. My student housemates last year (well, two of them) were disgusting - they left mould growing on stacks of washing up for days on end, and raw meat out. I don't know how I managed to get through the year without a single stomach complaint!!

[gubba]

Mu husband and mother have joked with me for years about my over washing my hands and when I wear clothing and i have sat in a waiting room, or even been in a movie theatre, i through the clothes right inthe wash before sitting on my own furniture.


i saw the 20/20 segment also, and my husband watched it with me. He laughed since I am a freak about our kitchen. I use a roll of paper towels each day bewtween the counters, sink and our hands. We have dogs and cats and a 3 year old. LOTS of germs I feel like!!


As crazy as we may seem, we are a step ahead of the rest of the world in knowing how to keep germs at bay. We did not need the show to tell any of us!!!


Kazzia...I have to agree with you as well. A few germs are good and I too have used the computer at the library (in the kids section which is probably even worse) and hand dryers etc. At the age of 41, I must assume that I have done some very germy things and soemhow survived. My only V* in the last 25 years has been from medication for Kidney Stones and I was so knocked out that I hardly knew what was happening. I'm sure if I had been able to have my wits about me and control that V*, I could have.

[stella9]

I agree with some germs is a good thing. My guess is also that some of the germs are in such small amounts that they won't make us sick. However, one of my good friends is a pediatrician and told me that some of the viruses now I mutated and are so hardy that when the kids do get sick it is horrible. A perfect example is rotavirus. It was unheard of when we were kids and now it appears every spring like clockwork and sends tons of little kids to hospitals due to dehydration.


I think the big thing is the handwashing. We will all be exposed to germs all the time and most of them are not the type of germs that cause illness. Still, we do want to protect against getting sick.


Stella

[crystalmom]

Very interesting info. It is amazing how gross everything tends to be, but sometimes, I think, if we obsess, we won't go anywhere knowing that germs are everywhere. I don't feel I wash my hands enough, or take enough precautions, and, luckily for me, sv are not common in our household (knock on wood). I am trying so hard to get better at things, I know I clean alot, but it's not really disinfected, and opening a dayhome in the next two weeks is going to have serious disinfecting rules.


Did you know....govenment policy (in Alberta) says that the only way to truely disinfect is to use bleach and water. It's all we (dayhome providers) are allowed to use. Of course, I cheat on occasion and use lysol wipes and things like that. I have done this before, and boy did we have a nasty flu season that year, we were always sick from dayhome kids. Not looking forward to that!


Anyhoo, thanks for the info!


Crystal

[Babydoll]

while I think this post has some good points about keeping germs away, I have a feeling that it may lead some emets to aviod these places and contribute to feeding the phobia.

[gubba]

you may be right about some people, but I go by the theory that Kazzia goes by...I have been to so many places and touched so many things and sat in movie seats and had to dry hands with those nasty drying machines and even played with keyboards in public places, and thus far, I may have caught a cold or 2, but nothing to stop me from living. i have been an emet for as long as i can remember and at the age of 41, I can say that i fear V* as much as anyone and not just mine, but others as well. That said, i can also say that I have always been afraid to tell others about it except family and so for that reason, I have led what looks like a normal life and almost seems that way to me. I do wah my hands and use sanitizer a lot, and I do avoid a few things like drunk fests etc... but for the most part I have had to hide it so much that I have actually done many things that i would not have done if i had known that i was not so strange.


Having found this site was a mixed blessing for me. i was so glad to hear that i was not alone and when i say glad, I mean a total weight was lifted off of me...almost setting me free. I truky believe that I even went out and did more knowing that I was able to come home and feel comfort here if I had a problem. I was afraid that reading all these posts from people who were actually putting into words all the feelings i had had for so long was going to scare me, but in some ways it did and others it has been therapeutic. I do know that I have a real anxiety problem that I would not have ever admitted before and partly because I had no clue that it was a true disorder.

[stephiewephie05]

i watched that episode of 20/20. i found it interesting.

[NCsmile6]

Icatched the last 3 mythsand found it very helpful!

[shiva]

On the other hand.. avoiding the truth is kinda like feeding the phobia, yes? I think it's awesome to be truthfully informed with info. like this. .

[tayda]

Stella, I watched that as well. but I only caught it about half way through.. it was pretty freaky about the bathrooms! I kind of suspected that anti-bacterial didn't work THAT much better than regular soap.. but I use it anyway...

[Babydoll]

I guess.. My point is that this info may just re afirm (is that even a word) an emets fears and make them aviod these things.


Im not saying its not helpful to be aware of cleanliness, I just wanted to point out that if you follow common sence you most likely will not get sick and I dont think its necessary to aviod these things.


you know that I have never once gotten food poisioning ora stomach virus? all I've ever done is wash my hands after using the bathroom and ( sometimes) before i eat.

[zane2673]

The title of the book was" The Germ Freak's Guide to Outwitting Colds & Flus...