A "No Duh!" Moment

I am no doctor...however, I do play one online.

Raise your hand if your one of those people who uses that Purell (or cheap knock-off equiv.) to clean your hands.

*If you could see me now, my hand is not raised.*

People in this country have become WAAAAY too germ-phobic, and the ever-willing chemical industry has seized on those fears to over-hype and manufacture a crisis that does not exist.

I've been working in schools full time for over three years. You want to know how many times I've been sick with some type of cold? Maybe one, perhaps 2...and they were mini-colds that never lasted long.

I don't use that Purell crap, and I'm one of those people who washes their hands with this revolutionary stuff called...uhh...soap and water! Heard of it?!?!?!

Germs are good for you in some respects people. And here's the straight-dope...here's the proof.

British researchers have come out and said that those disinfectant wipes people often use to "clean" surfaces are creating a bigger problem. Those wipes often catch a good chunk of bacteria, but they cannot catch them all, and in some cases, there has been cross pollination (my way of putting it) between bacteria.

This has caused those infamous superbugs you may or may not have been hearing about...it's become increasingly a big problem in hospitals, and perhaps those cruise ship sicknesses.

In fairness, near then end of the article I linked to they note that the use of wipes ONCE on a surface, appears to be the most effective route. But, I still think these wipes are causing more of a problem than helping.

When you start to get microbial germs mutating and being able to defeat today's medicine...that should signal a warning that we are pushing the limit here.

The lack of sleep and sleep deprivation in this country because people are working like dogs, is more likely the cause of the lowered immune systems, causing people to be more susceptible to the common cold...so, people turn to these damn wipes and gels. Not to mention bad nutrition, a bad medical industry that only concerns itself with damage control as opposed to prevention, the shit will eventually hit the fan.