CNN has a story: The 8 germiest places in the mall
“(Health.com) -- During the craziness of the holidays, the last thing you want is to get sidelined with a cold, flu, stomach bug -- or worse. But while you're checking items off your shopping list, you may be exposing yourself to germs -- like flu viruses, E. coli, and staph -- that can make you sick.
"Anywhere people gather is filled with bacteria and viruses, and a crowded shopping mall is a perfect example," says Philip Tierno, Ph.D., director of clinical microbiology and immunology at New York University Langone Medical Center.
With that in mind, we asked a panel of experts to rank the worst germ hot spots at your local shopping center. Check out the ewww-inducing results -- and tips for keeping yourself in the clear..”
I hate stories like that and the news media love those stories. Also local TV news media love to go out and do reports like this.
I have decided that I am just not going to leave the house. Or I will get me a biohazard suit and go out with it on.
I spent 11 years working at Research Belton Hospital. I spent most of the time in the ER area. I worked at night and all the doors were locked and everyone had to enter through the ER door.
Since I was in the ER and often they were busy I would often help the ER staff. I made carts for them and even bagged a few patients and took blood pressures and vitas for them! I took lab samples to the lab for them often.
I used infection control practices, of course, all the time. We had a lot of sick people come in with everything you can think of and some you can not think of. Had some Grateful Dead fans come in one night. I wish I had a biohazard suit that night. I used a lot of alcohol wipes after that patient left.
I worked at the hospital 11 years and I was almost never sick. I think I had the flu one time.
We had an outbreak of Hepatitis C in Belton and it was so bad that everyone was getting shots and the health department sent a team to Belton to see what in the hell was going on. A couple of people died from it and that is rare to die just from getting Hepatitis C.
So hand washing HAND WASHING and hand washing.
I used gloves, of course, when I made carts or took samples to the lab and still washed my hands.
If you go to the mall or an ATM you can not be using gloves and washing your hands all the time.
I still think I will stay home.
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