Sunday, March 11, 2012

Avoid Getting Sick: Top 8 Germiest Public Places Exposed Guard Yourself Against Viruses and Bacteria in These Public Areas

Avoid Getting Sick: Top 8 Germiest Public Places Exposed Guard Yourself Against Viruses and Bacteria in These Public Areas


By Nicole McEwen, Special to Lifescript
Published March 11, 2012




Worried about you or your kids picking up the flu virus or other common illnesses at school, in restrooms or at the mall? There’s good reason: Viruses and bacteria run rampant on the surfaces you touch every day. We blow the lid on the 8 germiest public places and give you expert tips to avoid getting sick...


Touch a germ-infected surface, then rub your nose or mouth, and the next thing you know, microbes are dancing the mambo in your body.


With the cold and flu and other run-of-the-mill bugs crawling about public places year round, germaphobes have plenty to worry about.




No wonder. Unfortunately, going anywhere people congregate can boost your chances of getting sick, says Philip Tierno, Ph.D., author of The Secret Life of Germs (Atria) and director of clinical microbiology and immunology at New York University's Langone Medical Center.


That’s because viruses and bacteria live practically everywhere — shopping malls, grocery stores, playgrounds, petting zoos, restaurants. They can survive up to two hours on shopping carts, escalator handrails, even doorknobs before they find their next victim.


“We encounter about 60,000 types of germs every year, but if you’re healthy, there’s no need to fear going out in public,” Tierno says.


Only 1%-2% are potentially dangerous to people with normal immunity. Plus, the body has an incredible ability to fight off germs. Special cells called neutrophils and lymphocytes (white blood cells) attack any microscopic invader.




Source: -- click on the link to read more:


http://www.lifescript.com/health/everyday-care/environment/germiest_public_places_top_8_to_avoid.aspx

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