Washing Is Best Defense
By SHELLEY HANSON With AP DispatchesArticle Photos
WHEELING - Germs left behind on frequently touched surfaces such as bathroom faucets and TV remote controls can live two days or more, according to a new study.
And though there is no high-tech method or gadget for removing germs, people shouldn't worry, a local nurse said. Just remember to wash one's hands frequently and thoroughly, and during cold and flu season it's best to clean the surfaces daily.
Scientists at the University of Virginia tested surfaces in the homes of people with colds and recently reported the results at the nation's premier conference on infectious diseases.
Doctors don't know how often people catch colds from touching germy surfaces compared to shaking a sick person's hand, said Dr. Birgit Winther, an ear, nose and throat specialist who helped conduct the study. Two years ago, she and other doctors showed that germs survived in hotel rooms a day after guests left, waiting to be picked up by the next person checking in.
For the new study, researchers started with 30 adults showing early symptoms of colds. Sixteen tested positive for rhinovirus, which causes about half of all colds. They were asked to name 10 places in their homes they had touched in the preceding 18 hours, and researchers used DNA tests to hunt for rhinovirus.
''We found that commonly touched areas like refrigerator doors and handles were positive about 40 percent of the time'' for cold germs, Winther said.
All three of the salt and pepper shakers they tested were contaminated. Other spots found to harbor the germ: six out of 18 doorknobs; eight of 14 refrigerator handles; three of 13 light switches; six of 10 remote controls; eight of 10 bathroom faucets; four of seven phones, and three of four dishwasher handles.
Becky Beckett, nursing supervisor at the Wheeling-Ohio County Health Department, said Tuesday that many people don't realize that the majority of infectious diseases are spread via contact with germs, and not through the air.
''We actually pick them up from our environment. We inoculate ourselves with the germs we pick up,'' Beckett said.
The most common preventive measure is to wash one hands periodically, especially when they look or feel soiled. Germs on the hands can enter one's body when a person touches their eyes, nose and mouth. Washing one's hands before preparing food also is important, she added.
''There are germs everywhere ... even if it looks clean,'' Beckett said. ''You should wash your hands immediately before eating, drinking or putting anything in your mouth.''
Beckett, who has worked at the health department for 16 years, worked in the past as infection control coordinator at Wheeling Hospital. She has been a nurse for 32 years.
Beckett prefers to use sanitizing wipes to clean frequently touched surfaces. Sanitizing spray can also be used on door knobs or handles. She also uses sanitizing wipes to clean cart surfaces now offered at local grocery stores. And, she noted, people should take advantage of plastic bags or paper towels offered at stores to handle their raw meats.
During the study, the researchers deliberately contaminated surfaces with participants' mucus and then tested to see whether rhinovirus stuck to their fingers when they turned on lights, answered the phone or did other common tasks. More than half of the participants got the virus on their fingertips 48 hours after the mucus was smeared.
The study was sponsored by Reckitt-Benckiser Inc., makers of Lysol, but no products were tested in the research.
|
Kup4036
|
|
|---|---|
|
11-27-08 5:25 PM
|
yea, those @#@$#@#$ bloggers should keep their @#$@^$^^% mouths shut, and learn some @#$@#@%$ manners!!!!
|
|
wonderwhy
|
|
|
11-26-08 4:27 PM
|
How about washing some of the bloggers on here mouth's out with soap!
|