Cough into your elbow and not your hands. We’ve heard it! We got it! But how many of us are doing it?

I was on the subway the other day and witness several people coughing into their elbows. I was so happy. I thought, yes, people are being more responsible with spreading germs. Then I looked down the train and saw several people coughing into their hands! Hmm. More work to be done.

We know that virus can live on surfaces for many hours after an infected hand touches them. This could be that doorknob, that phone, that atm, etc. So this just as of a big deal as washing your hands.

So here is a poster from the Center for Disease Control. Post it up in your work place.

Japan
Politicians’ handshakes banned over swine flu fears

“JAPANESE election candidates have been cutting back on handshakes on the campaign trail as the swine flu virus reaches epidemic proportions in Japan.” 

Church

Winnipeg churches ban handshakes over H1N1

“The Catholic Archdiocese of Winnipeg has banned handshaking between church-goers over concerns it could lead people to contract the H1N1 influenza virus, also known as swine flu.”

Graduations

Handshaking Banned At Upcoming UCF Graduation

“ORLANDO – Handshaking will no longer be allowed at this weekend’s graduation at the University of Central Florida because of swine flu.”

What is the alternative to handshaking? Here are a few ideas. Some are taken from other cultures. They just make sense. Donald Trump is a fan of bowing. Maybe we can adopt a few for our country.

The Fist Bump

The Bow

The Namaste

The ThumbsUp

The PeaceSign

The Hollywood-style Native American Greeting

The Nod

A new Canadian study shows just how easy it is for dirty hands to transfer germs to pets. Maybe you should think twice before petting that cute dog in the dog park.

Canadian researchers studied 26 therapy dogs who visited patients in hospitals or long-term care facilities. Before and after each visit, a dog’s forepaws and the hands of its handler were tested for three bacteria that commonly cause hospital infections — Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant enterococci and Clostridium difficile. To detect whether a dog was carrying germs on its fur, the researcher also sanitized her hands, petted the dog and had her hands tested for the pathogens.

None of the dog paws, handlers or the researcher tested positive for the bacteria before the hospital visits. But after the hospital visits, two of the dogs were contaminated. One dog, a greyhound, had C. difficile on its paws. Another dog, a pug, appeared to pick up MRSA on its fur. (MRSA was found on the hands of the investigator after she petted the dog upon its return.)

So how did the dogs end up as carriers of the risky germs? The dog with C. difficile had shaken paws with several patients. The pug with MRSA on its fur had spent time in patients’ beds and was kissed repeatedly by two patients. The findings were reported in a letter published in The Journal of Hospital Infection.

The study shows how easily germs can travel in and out of health care settings and the importance of vigilant hand washing. Compared to human visitors, animals typically visit a larger number of patients and staff members and walk bare-pawed on hospital corridors, possibly making them more likely to pick up germs. However, countless numbers of people who visit hospitals regularly shake hands, hug and kiss, and sit on hospital beds in patients’ rooms.

“It’s unrealistic to think that we can sanitize an animal visitor’s body between patients,” said investigator Sandra Lefebvre of the University of Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College. “But we can and do ask human visitors to sanitize their hands so they don’t spread germs.”

Source: NYTimes.com