Handsfree Dispenser

     Schools, college dorms, and daycare centers are  becoming breeding places for the flu and Swine flu.  The college students and older children  can be made aware of hand contamination and how to sneeze and cough without polluting the air with germs.  The younger children however need more to motivate them into good habits.

      A sneeze can propel a lot of germs into the air if not shielded. To a lesser extent, so can a  cough.  Flus are transmitted by contact with the flu virus in the air or by contaminated hands which then touch the mouth or nose.

      One easy way to help younger chidren stay healthy is to teach them about handwashing and hand sanitizers and to have them available.  As far as teaching proper sneezing and coughing, there is nothing better than a visual aide.  That’s where Germy Wormy comes in. The Germy Wormy disposable elbow sleeves have a picture of Germy Wormy who eats the germs that are sneezed or coughed. This is amusing to little kids so they try to sneeze and cough the right way. This can reduce the spread of infection from the children who might be coming down with the flu. Of course those who are sick should remain home.

A great part of spreading the flu around occurs because those who harbor the virus are out in public infecting others.  Some people are not yet aware that they are sick because symptoms have not presented fully. Others who know that they have a flu still go to work, to school, to the supermarket, and other places. I heard of a case yesterday where the employee was threatend with losing her job if she stayed home because she was sick.

Contagious people cause cross-contamination by touching things like doorknobs, phones, keyboards, elevator buttons, shopping carts, play facilities, and much more.  At times these infected people sneeze or cough into the air and on objects that others touch. They even travel out of the country carrying the virus with them.

Flu patients stay home.  See your doctor if necessary. Get as comfortable as you can. Wait until you are no longer contagious and your symptoms are gone.  This would diminish the number of flu cases.  The best tactic is to keep your immune system boosted and to switch to touchfree products such as automatic soap dispensers , but if you do succumb, be considerate and remain home.

    Those of us who go to work are exposed to germs in the workplace. There are many areas in that environment that are actually teeming with microbes.  Some of these disease-causing germs can be flu viruses.  With Swine flu presenting a health threat, it is incumbent upon us to try to avoid those viruses.

    Dr. Charles Gerba, aka, “Dr. Germ” has tested various objects that are in workplaces.  After 7000 samples that he gathered around the country, he discovered that workplace objects had more germs on them then on toilet seats. It is estimated that 63 Billion dollars are lost each year due to absent employees who are sick.

    If you go to a workplace, be aware of the objects that harbor the most germs. They are in no special order:  elevator buttons, telephones, desks, keyboards, coffee makers, door handles, paper communications, and typewriters.  There are more.

     Washable keyboards can be disinfected. Disinfectant wipes can be used on hard objects. Hand sanitizers should be available and of course proper handwashing (20 seconds) are all good defenses against the flu. If one does get the flu, one should stay home and recuperate.

     Handwashing is important when it comes to good health.  If done properly, it removes microbes that we have picked up on our hands.  Not all of these microbes pose a health risk.  In fact , some bacteria on our skin are the good guys and they get rinsed away as well.

    Now with the flu season upon us, most people are especially aware that their hands can transmit flu germs.  While we should all have good handwashing habits year round , avoiding a flu infection is a good motivator when it comes to handwashing.

    Wash your hands before eating, after coming in contact with public restroom devices, handling sums of money,  shaking many hands,  handling litter boxes, using keyboards used by others, changing diapers, opening your mail ( many hands have handled your mail) and visiting a hospital or nursing home.  These are only some suggestions , there are more circumstances.

     Automatic soap dispensers, hands free faucets, and touchfree towel dispensers in public places are  there to protect us from cross-contamination.

   We are all reminded that the flu season is upon us.  Even schoolchildren are instructed on how to avoid getting a flu, especially the H1N1 Swine flu.  Cough and sneeze into the elbow, wash your hands before eating, wash your hands after using the bathroom, etc.

     When using a public bathroom, often the toilet flusher, soap dispenser, and faucet  is automatic, sensor-operated.  How about the towel dispenser?  Sometimes it is not a touchfree towel dispenser,so  one must operate it with a wrist or arm so as not to contaminate the hands that were  just washed.  And then use that towel to exit the door if you need to.

Stay well and stay healthy.

     I recently visited a doctor’s office for an appointment.  When the doctor, who happened to be a Dermatologist , went to touch a spot on my back I said, “Doctor I am going to ask you to put on some gloves.  After a look and a pause, the doctor complied and donned some exam gloves.

     Dentists , assistants, and Dental Hygienists all follow the OSHA  guidelines which state that exam gloves must be worn while working on a patient.  The gloves protect the patient and also act as a barrier for the dental personnel.

       Medtechs used to draw blood bare-handed, but now wear gloves for their procedures.  Gloves are provided in hospital rooms for doctors,  nurses and workers.

      I have not been to the vetenarian”s office in many years, but i would think that they would use gloves when handling your pets, especially sick ones.

        Wearing exam gloves are a precaution to prevent cross-contamination.  MRSA and C-diff are rampant in hospitals . The H1N1 flu and other flus are here this season.  Let’s remind our caregivers if they forget to use exam gloves.