--- In vpFREE@yahoogroups.com, "lakeshorebenbev" <benfeinberg@j...>
wrote:
As a physician, I'll give a brief answer. The issue being
discussed is
protecting oneself from fomite-borne pathogens. A fomite being
any
object, such as a doorknob or VP machine, that is not in itself
harmful, but is able to harbor pathogenic microorganisms and thus
may
serve as an agent of transmission of an infection. From the
definition, you can see that darn near everything you touch is a
fomite. To try to sanitize everything you touch before touching
it is
an exercise in futility. To decide to sanitize the VP machine
before
touching it, but not money or peoples hands before shaking them,
has,
shall we say, a very low ER.
The key, as has been mentioned before, is what you do with your
hands
after touching fomites. Wash or sanitize them as often as
possible,
and be conscious about not rubbing your nose or eyes if you
haven't
cleaned your hands recently. Next time you go to your doctor with
a
cold, notice that s/he isn't afraid to shake your hand, but
doesn't
touch his/her face and washes up right after examining you. I
encounter more sick people than my pre-schooler, but he gets sick
more,
and it isn't because I've had more time to build up immunity.
...
Ben
I agree with everything in the post above.
I've never wiped down a machine. I limit it, after I leave the
house, to washing with soap and hot water after
urination/defecation and/or when my hands are dirty.
But I am always careful not to touch my hands to my mouth, nose, or
eyes without washing first.
Nor of course to touch food without doing likewise.
Some in the thread above go farther than me, at least one apparently
doesn't wash his hands after urinating.
Obviously there's a lot of personal choice involved in how far one
goes in protecting oneself agains germs.
People have pointed out in this thread that the world is filled with
germs.
I agree of course. But I also feel that some basic hygiene habits
make me less vulnerable to disease.
Some people used to ridicule and argue against the use of seat
belts, using the "I could get killed walking across the street" type
of argument, which I equate to the "Why wash my hands or take other
precautions, there are germs all over" argument.
I feel that certain safety precautions are worthwhile.
Someone mentioned this topic in one post in the thread - I stayed at
the Fremont for a few days recently.
There were signs in the room asking guests to be sure to wash their
hands after touching basically anything in the hotel and casino, to
try to avoid contracting the fungus that was definitely among us at
the Fremont and Cal.