Germ Hotbeds

[MA-Caver]

Doorknobs and TV remotes are germ hotbeds

By MARILYNN MARCHIONE, AP Medical Writer Marilynn Marchione, Ap Medical Writer – Wed Oct 29, 1:52 am ET http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/med_catching_colds
WASHINGTON – Someone in your house have the sniffles? Watch out for the refrigerator door handle. The TV remote, too. A new study finds that cold sufferers often leave their germs there, where they can live for two days or longer.
Scientists at the University of Virginia, long known for its virology research, tested surfaces in the homes of people with colds and reported the results Tuesday at the nation's premier conference on infectious diseases.
Doctors don't know how often people catch colds from touching germy surfaces as opposed to, say, 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.

Interesting thoughts... and things to consider... around the dojo as well there are items that could spread germs. Sparring gear, weaponry, even the mats themselves. True, most should know not to go out when they're sick. But even a couple of days of... "yeah, I'm feeling a little better" can still leave behind those germs.

Thinking that leaving around a bunch of those hand wipes and bottle hand sanitizers around the dojo and getting the students and instructors to use them frequently would help minimize the spread of latent germs. There's a lot of contact going on in that there dojo ya know?
Getting one of those swiffer mops and attaching instead the cleansing pad but a couple layers of those anti-bacterial hand wipes to 'em and going over the training mats after a day's lesson... or after each lesson. Sure wouldn't hurt. Looking at MA shoes or barefeet going over those mats and then faces after being thrown getting contact with those same mats.
MA training is supposed to make you healthier... not sicker.

 

[Nolerama]

We're almost always in close contact while training. If we could drink GermX, we probably would.

After I get home, I take a long, hot shower with LAVA soap, just to be safe. Have you seen what MRSA looks like? It's crazy!

Wiping down your mats is very important, too.