Dodge the germs

By Keith Purtell
Phoenix Staff Writer

July 23, 2007 07:56 pm

— Avoiding contagious disease is not rocket science. Unfortunately, people often have bad information and a lack of information about dodging bad bugs.
One example of a place where people have learned to stop the spread of sickness is daycare centers.
Jennifer Schuler, co-owner of Jack and Jill Learning Center on Keetoowah Trail Road, said she and her staff have a basic, effective procedure for protecting the 60 children there.
“Our No. 1 thing is that we’re always telling them to go wash their hands,” she said. “And we have hand sanitizers at their level in all the classrooms. Weekly we sanitized all the toys using bleach water.”
Although the staff also has hospital-grade disinfectant they use, a simple mixture of water with a little chlorine bleach is also highly effective at zapping germs.
“If it’s during cold season or we know a bug is going around, we pull all the toys out and clean them more frequently,” Schuler said. “We clean the cubbies and shelves, and toys and furniture; everything they can get ahold of.”
Jack and Jill cares for kids ages 10 months to 5 years old. Schuler said that even in the nursery, the employees will wash infants’ hands. And the staff wears gloves when changing diapers or feeding meals.
Cheri Oglesbee, a registered nurse and the infection control officer at Tahlequah City Hospital, tried to put fact and fiction in perspective.
“It’s a proven fact that lots of bacteria and viruses can survive for days on sink handles or toilet seats, if they are not cleaned,” she said. “But it is highly unlikely you would get sick this way.”
Most common infectious diseases could be stopped if everyone would just wash their hands on a regular basis, Oglesbee said. Because people don’t do this, many public objects are loaded with germs; door knobs, shopping cart handles, sink handles, etc.
Oglesbee said the popularity of antibacterial soaps may contribute to the spread of drug-resistant “super bugs” like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).
“From what I’ve been taught, it is not appropriate for the general public to use antibacterial soaps,” she said. “If that’s what they use every time to wash their hands, they are more likely to develop a resistant organism on your body. You can wash with regular soap and water.”
Other germs are spread by droplets spread by sick people. They may produce such droplets by sneezing or coughing. Oglesbee gave an example.
“Common colds are spread with droplets,” she said. “Especially if the two people are within 3 feet of each other. The droplets will travel about 3 feet then fall to the ground.”
There are some places where this kind of disease transmission is more likely. Oglesbee said the highest risk is when large groups of people congregate in a small space like churches, amusement parks, movie theaters and skate centers.
In addition to hand washing, cleaning public objects, and avoiding sick people, Oglesbee suggested another simple defense is to use what nature gave us.
“Keep a healthy immune system,” she said. “There is no place in the world you can go where there are not germs. Take vitamins and go for a walk each day.”

Reach Keith Purtell at 684-2925.

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