Community Chat

[Spurt]

@Imaoldhippie 

I understand where you are coming from and agree with the points you are making....

Here's something else to consider----I understand we need to practice good hygiene to help stop the spread of the Coronavirus.....But the thing I wonder about is awhile back health professionals were warning us about the overuse of cleaning and anti-bacterial products which didnt help us build up our immune systems and could even cause viruses to mutate.....So while we are fighting Corona we may be preparing for something else down the line if we become too overzealous with our cleaning.... It seems its always something....

 Im just doing extra handwashing and taking other common sense precautions, staying home and being prudent but not making myself a basket case over worrying about the need to overclean either....

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Here's info from a health blog---

Regular soap is just as effective as anti-bacterial soap – scientific research proves it.  Regular soap is cheaper and does not cause health and environmental issues. 

No water available? The next best option is to use an alcohol-based sanitizer. Look for sanitizers with about 60% alcohol for best results. Does washing with water alone offer any protection?  “No” say medical researchers. You need the soapy lather to lift the germs off your hands.  

You may also want to shop around for soap with natural ingredients, rather than opting for chemical heavy soaps that may contain unsafe substances.

Antibacterial ingredients do not destroy all contaminants. As a defense tactic, the bacteria that survive may mutate and become resistant to the cleansing chemicals in the soap.  Antibacterial residue often remains on hands even after washing.  This provides the opportunity for superbugs to develop, which cannot be destroyed by antibiotics.  

[SilleeMee]

My medical and science background has taught me to treat every person and thing as if they could be infectious. Keeping my hands away from my face comes as second nature to me. But even with all the precautions I take, there will always be that chance of getting infected with whatever. Keep my immune system strong and don't do anything stupid...that's what I go by mostly.

[Imaoldhippie]

One of the points I was trying to make was you cant be 100% germ or virus free at any time.  Just do the best you can and go on with life.

Each one of us will do what she thinks is best.

[cotton4me]

@Imaoldhippie 

I appreciate your thoughts.  I was driving myself crazy trying to sanitize every surface I touched, which is near impossible.  I finally decided to just do the best I can.  

[hckynut]

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@Imaoldhippie wrote:

Each one of us will do what "she" thinks is best.

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@Imaoldhippie 

I will add "He".

hckynut(john)

[SilleeMee]

There good viruses and bacteria, too.  Those may have even helped shape us into what we are today and are currently still with us as part of our immune system. There are still microbes unseen to us because they are too small to see. Some day there will come a time when will be able to see how it all fits together and be able to visualize just how important it is to keep balance in the natural world...something, I believe, went terribly wrong somewhere when we got this terrible virus to begin with, for example people living near bat caves because there are no other places to live...overpopulation.

[RollTide2008]

I haven’t carted home groceries in plastic bags in 10 years, but I happily did it this morning. If my market thinks it’s safer for their staff, I’ll play by the rules without arguing.

[noodleann]

The checkers and stockers at the supermarkets are our allies in survival. They are on the front lines, in a different way from the medicos, but they're there, and far less protected. None of them was wearing gloves or a mask when I was shopping yesterday.

In light of that, I do not think it's fair to expect them to add to their germ burden by handling things like our own bags brought from home. If we want to use those bags, we should have the checker put things on top of the bag carousel after scanning, and we can put them in our bags. Or we should use the self-checkouts that seem to be ubiquitous these days.

The fact that "no one is ill" in a household doesn't mean that no one is carrying the virus, and people who are asymptomatic  can transmit the virus. As pointed out, the incubation period is 2 to 14 days. Just as none of us would or should rely upon assurances of others that they're not sick, neither should we expect people to do so of us.

I am very grateful that these people are willing to hazard their health to provide for our needs, and we should do everything we can to keep them safe. This situation calls upon deep wells of compassion and patience. If we can just make sensible decisions and maintain flexibility of response as things change, we will get through it.