Stay Healthy with Tips from a Germ Freak
Most people will tell you they know at least one germ freak perhaps, it's the coworker who sanitizes her phone everyday, or the friend who wouldn't dare touch the door of a public restroom without donning a makeshift glove of paper towel or tissue material.
Laugh and mock them if you must, but you may not be laughing for long when you and your other coworkers start dropping like flies, while the germ freak who keeps hand sanitizer in her desk drawer is the only one not barking like a seal and desperately searching for tissues to control that post-nasal drip.
Allison Janse, a self-proclaimed germ freak and author of the book The Freak's Guide to Outwitting Colds and Flu , with Charles Gerba, PhD, takes a very practical and often comical approach to germ avoidance. The book includes important tactical information necessary to launch a successful germ warfare campaign in almost any situation. From public restrooms to all-you-can-eat buffets; and yes, even in your own home, germs are lurking, according to Janse.
The workplace, where many spend the majority of their waking hours, is a virtual hot zone of germs. And, if you want to stay well (or at least increase your odds), it would be wise to arm yourself with the knowledge and tools to put up a good fight against the germs.
While some people are fortunate enough to work from home, most don't have that luxury. In fact, many employees come to work even when they are sick, spreading all sorts of germs in their wake. According to Dr. Gerba, some cold and flu viruses can survive on surfaces for up to 72 hours - even after 72 hours, 700 viral particles of the cold virus [can remain], enough to potentially sicken seven people.
If you have to come to work sick and statistics indicate that many of us do Janse recommends you quarantine yourself to your own office to keep from spreading germs to your coworkers and wiping out the entire department. Let everyone know you are a walking contagion and let them make the decision on how much contact they are willing to risk. Also, practice good respiratory etiquette; cover your mouth or nose when you sneeze or cough, and wash your hands frequently with soap and water.
Even during the non-peak cold and flu seasons, there are germs aplenty to be shared. Now, it's time to test your germ IQ. Be prepared for some surprises here.
Question 1: What do 20 percent of office coffee mugs have growing on them?
If you guessed E. coli, you are right. While Escherichia coli (E. coli) can play an important role in fighting off other bacteria, in its nastier form, this germ can cause diarrhea, food poisoning and wound infections from ingesting food or water containing the bacteria; person-to-person contact with infected people who don't wash their hands; contact with animal fecal microbes (like at petting zoos); or improperly disinfected swimming pools.
E. coli usually appears much like a stomach virus, but can be particularly dangerous (even deadly) to older people and especially children, sometimes resulting in hemolytic uremic syndrome and subsequent kidney failure. This is particularly disturbing considering the answer to the next question on the germ IQ quiz.
Question 2: How many people actually wash their hands correctly (to the point where they are actually clean)?
It is estimated only 16 percent of people wash their hands correctly. Proper hand washing consists of lathering with soap, rubbing between the fingers, tops and palms of your hands, and fingernails for a full 15 seconds before rinsing thoroughly with water.
Question 3: Is antibacterial soap necessary?
According to a March 2004 study in the Annals of Internal Medicine, people who use antibacterial soap had the same number of colds, runny noses, sore throats and fevers as those who used regular soap. Therefore, medical experts say it is not necessary to use antibacterial soap unless you are: working in a medical setting; or you are immune compromised, in which case you should consult your doctor.
So, most of us have been taught to wash our hands before exiting the restroom, but what other surfaces are playing host to an army of germs?
Question 4: What is the germiest item in the workplace?
Surprisingly, it is not the toilet. In fact, the toilet and other restroom items aren't even in the top five! It's your phone, with an average of 25,127 germs per square inch residing on the phone receiver. Your desktop comes in at a close second with an average 20,961 germs per square inch 400 times more bacteria than the average toilet seat! Think about that next time you have lunch at your desk, while intermittently chatting on the phone and typing on your keyboard which, by the way is number five on the germiest list, preceded by the water fountain handle and the microwave door handle.
According to Janse, germ freaks come in different varieties from the Latent Germ Freaks who hide their tendencies, to the Blatant Germ Freaks, who wear their title like a badge of honor. Of course, let's not forget the Middle-of-the-Road Germ Freaks, largely considered the most level-headed of the group; and the less common Wannabe Germ Freak
which brings us to our final question.
Question 5: Are you a germ freak?
- Your exit strategy from a public bathroom rivals an NFL playbook.
- Your family and friends think Purell is your scent.
- You check elevator riders for anyone who is sniffling and opt for the stairs even though you're going to the top floor.
- You turn public bathroom faucets with a piece of tissue.
- You avoid buffets that don't have four-foot-long sneeze guard barriers.
- You think BYOB means bring your own bathroom hand towels.
- You only go to afternoon movies because they're less crowded.
- You consider a mask to be appropriate airplane attire.
- You trade your number one spot in the express checkout because the cashier says she has a tickle in her throat.
- Your neck hairs bristle when someone coughs within earshot.
If you answer yes to more than three, you are most assuredly a blatant germ freak; two or more, you are on the road to becoming a germ freak. If you answered no to all of these, you are not yet a germ freak but take heart you never know what might set off that inner germ freak that may be struggling to escape. And according to Janse, once that happens, you are forever changed.
Stephanie Muller is the editor of Counselor, The Magazine for Addiction Professionals. She can be contacted by email at: editor@counselormagazine.com .
For more information on Counselor, visit http://www.counselormagazine.com .
|
