Germs are everywhere. Literally every single surface you come in contact with during the day may be harboring germs, bacteria, fungi, virus, and even parasites. When we touch one surface we pick them up. When we touch something else, or someone else, we spread them. It’s been reported that we actually come into contact with over 60,000 types of germs a day!
Now just think how many times you or your loved ones touch something and then touch your food or mouth without washing your hands. Yikes! In fact, common items such as cellphones have been found to have a 16% likelihood of having fecal matter on them. Now think about all the other common surfaces you and any number of untold strangers might be touching in a day. Surfaces like menus at a restaurant, the railing on the steps in the mall, the buttons on the copy machine at work…the list goes on and on for all the germ laden surfaces we all touch without realizing we are helping the spread of germs and disease.
This just goes to show how often we come in contact with infection hot spots, literal breeding grounds for infectious disease that we touch hundreds of times a day without even realizing it. There are steps we can take however. Awareness is the key to infection prevention however, or as this 2012 article puts it:
Germs are everywhere! They are tiny, microscopic organisms that are all over. Ninety percent of the human body is covered or contains some type of bacteria. Not all bacteria is harmful to the body, in fact some of them are necessary and beneficial. There are however many dangerous germs that can cause sickness and even death. These harmful bacteria can be found on many commonly touched surfaces that may not always be the obvious ones. Because the average person touches approximately 300 surfaces every 30 minutes, they come into contact with thousands if not millions of germs a day. This is a real health problem because according to Dr. Gerba, 80% of infections are spread by hand. It is important to explore these germy surfaces to learn how best to protect and prevent the spread of harmful bacteria.
This may be grossing you out beyond belief but there are steps you can take to help prevent the spread of infectious disease from those germ infested surfaces. Simple infection prevention techniques such as thoroughly washing your hands, wiping down surfaces with disinfectant wipes, and cleaning with a bleach solution on a regular basic will all help cut down on the spread of the germs, bacteria and viruses that cause disease. We are all busy people, and throughout the day we are bound to come in contact with thousand upon thousands of germs and bacteria, but with a little awareness and taking the time to properly wash our hands and disinfect the surfaces we come in contact with, we can stop germs dead in their tracks.
