Giardia!?!

[marylou]

If you don't have a compromised immune system already crypto is not a big worry.

 

What's that based on? I've done some reading on the subject and never saw that anywhere.

[ClimbingPanther]

marylou, do you really believe anything that comes from this mouth?

[iluka]

the kicker there is that soap and water never has killed germs, only washed them away (except for antibacterial soaps). but alcohol needs to be used liberally so it has time to kill stuff before it evaporates. with that qualification, yes, it's a better killer.

 

The alcohol-based hand sanitizers are, in fact, being used much more frequently in the hospitals and are now located on the walls outside most rooms. In addition to their effectiveness at disinfecting, they're more convenient than the sinks and therefore people are more likely to wash off before then enter and as they leave a room. However, there are still a few situations in which you still need to wash your hands. The most important one in the hospital is with a bacteria called C.Difficile or C.Diff, for short. The alcohol gels don't work with this and handwashing is necessary.

 

Regarding the cryptosporidium issue, it is more of an issue in people who have suppressed immune systems (HIV, medications etc.). People with normal immune systems can still get symptomatic infection (eg. the big outbreak in Milwaukee in the 90s) but they tend to be less severe and will usually resolve without therapy in 10-14 days. In people with suppressed immune systems, the infections can be quite severe and quite prolonged.

[whirlwind]

I'd KNOW I was sick if I was looking at THAT in the terlit.

 

 

 

It even spells, OH NO!

 

actually its

 

oh n n noo

[catbirdseat]

Alcohol-based hand purifiers are good in a "pinch", butt, good old soap and water should be used whenever possible.

 

i work in a medical setting and the new thing seems to be that purell works better at killing germs than soap and water. i've heard this straight from a microbiologist's mouth. other opinions obviously exist. catbird?

 

they're installing these wall mounted purell dispensers everywhere.

It's pretty hard to beat a thorough hand washing with soap and warm water. Germs that form spores can be resistant to being killed by alcohol. Soap works by removing bacteria and spores, so it doesn't matter what the organism is.

 

The antibacterial most often added to hand soap is triclosan, which is a phenolic compound. It works by a combination of specific and non-specific modes. In theory organisms can develop resistence to it, but thus far there is little evidence for this. In any case, the soap works quite well by itself.

[Dechristo]

I am no medical expert.

 

I read that by using more disinfectants, we are actually creating stronger, more resistant bugs right in our very kitchens. Have you read this? Is is just hype that gullible people like me believe?

yes. it's better to leave everything filthy, and lick your floors and countertops periodically to increase your resistance to bacteria.

I vaguely recall multiple instances of my head and face being in close proximity to (or in) questionably clean toilet bowls. And, as I recall, the coolness of the fixture lent some comfort to my forehead and the side of my face.

 

I'm sure I dowsed the surfaces with an alcohol-laden goulash before touching anything.