Washing Hands Against Drug-Resistant Bacteria – Hah, What a Gas!


Washing Hands Against Drug-Resistant Bacteria – Hah, What a Gas!

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Its scientific name is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. It’s also known as “Staph” or MRSA.

It’s a microscopic little bugger that maims and kills if it gets into your blood stream.

Already, a high school student died in Virginia and the Governor shut down the whole school system for 12 days.

So far the only recommendation coming from the American medical community is – “Wash your hands!”

Oh, really?

For how long?

And how many times a day?

What are we supposed to do? Carry a bar of soap wherever we go? Oh, plu-ease…

What a pitiful sight… here we are, hit with one of the "early model" of “super bugs” that we have been warned about for over a decade now.

Scientists have warned us all along that with all this penicillin and antibiotic use we would one day get the kind of bacteria for which there would be no medication.

And here we are…

And what do they recommend us? WASH YOUR HANDS!

Thanks, really.

Why don’t they just admit that we do not have any protection yet against MRSA and we might just as well lit a candle, finger our prayer beads and hope for the best?...

Don’t you wish that some of the $2 TRILLION dollars that already went to the Iraq War instead went to fighting unseen killers like MRSA?



user-icon Submitted by karbon on Fri, 2007-10-26 16:28


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Idlewild's picture

Hand washing

Submitted by Idlewild on Fri, 2007-10-26 17:10.

Actually hand washing IS one of the best means of protection against MRSA and other pathogens, including E. coli.

Considering how lax most people are at hand washing (letting a bit of water run over the palms for a couple of seconds), a real hand washing would be a big improvement, and would actually make a difference.

The people most at risk for MRSA are hospital/nursing home patients, and people who play sports (many MRSA deaths have been high school athletes).

And no, you don't have to carry around soup. Those alcohol-based hand sanitizers will do just fine, and they're pretty convenient and portable.

For the moment, I won't comment on those folks who don't wash their hands at all when leaving the bathroom...

angelskates's picture

Hand Washing

Submitted by angelskates on Fri, 2007-10-26 18:34.

Actually, hand washing is our BEST defense against the spread of contact pathogens...

And the items that have the highest "germ" count in public bathrooms are not the toilets or the toilet handles...

The highest count is on the faucet at the sink... where you turn the water on before you wash your hands and then you touch it again and contaminate your hands after you wash them when you turn it off....

The second highest count is on the handle of the door to leave the bathroom... you know the one you touch with your hand to open the door right after you touch that contaminated sink handle....

So depending on the facilities.....if it does not have hands free faucets or a paper towel you can use for the faucet handle and another you can use for the door handle... you may be much better off using hand sanitizer after you leave than washing while you are there......

Angel

Idlewild's picture

Germs

Submitted by Idlewild on Fri, 2007-10-26 18:42.

There's an interesting book called "Where the Germs Are" that looks at germs in the home and where the highest concentrations are, etc. (Kitchen and bathroom countertops are two of the worst offenders in the home). Very interesting information, and a fun read, although it can make you so paranoid about germs that you might never want to leave home.

Xomba Moderator's picture

Drug resistant, but not wash resistant

Submitted by Xomba Moderator on Sat, 2007-10-27 01:56.

Yeah, even if it's a drug-resistant strain, the antibacterial soap will usually kill it. Too bad we can't just pump some of it into our bloodstream. Ugh, think of the havoc it would wreak on your insides...

Idlewild's picture

Antibacterial soaps are part of the problem

Submitted by Idlewild on Sat, 2007-10-27 10:27.

These antibacterial products (soaps, detergent, wipes, etc.) are actually helping to make germs drug resistant -- they're not that strong, so the germs can develop resistance to them.

Hand washing with soap is fine, and alcohol works fine too. Those alcohol hand sanitizers kill the germs but don't have any drugs that the germs can develop resistance to.