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mfh · 09-16-2007, 09:02 PM

The reason you got sick is not because you aren't washing your hands often enough, or didn't use enough antibacterial cleaners. This is pure marketing and old wives' tales.

* Influenza is not a bacteria - it is a virus, and isn't affected by Ajax or Lysol. Furthermore, viruses do not grow on things like metal and plastic. They require hosts, and can survive only a short time outside of the body. This is basic biology.

* Bacteria can grow on plastic and other materials, but what good does it do to kill your own bacteria that got you sick? Your body is fighting it, and by the end of your sickness you will have the antibodies required to combat another infection.

Did you clean your keyboard and mouse? How about the TV remote? Credit cards? Keys? You can see how fast this will slip into madness.

* You just moved to Colorado, and your body does not have antibodies for the local strains of the flu and bacteria floating around in Colorado. This is the same thing that happens when kids go off to college. Which would make sense, because the last time you got this sick was in college, right?

* This is also the reason why you need repeated flu shots - if it were all the same strain of flu, you'd need only one, like smallpox or other vaccinations.

* When the immune system is occupied or otherwise weakened, secondary infections can happen. This is probably why the pinkeye set in so easily. Also, the pinkeye was probably caused by more different bacteria in Colorado.

Please, please, please do not fall into the trap of overusing antibiotic soaps and scrubs. The only thing this does is cause resistance in the bacteria, producing superbugs. The last thing we want is bacteria that doesn't respond to medically prescribed antibiotics. Then you might have a real problem.

The things you touch every day over and over harbor trillions of bacteria. This is not a fight you can win. Everything is covered with bacteria, mold, and viruses. The only thing you can do is eat a balanced diet so that your immune system can do its job fully.

I'm not a doctor (actually I work with computers), but please, just thinking some things through a little bit will help you avoid getting sick in the future and not spray down your house with unnecessary and toxic solvents and cleaners whose fumes are actually dangerous.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antibacterial_soap
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immune_system
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza

09-16-2007, 09:02 PM	#2 (permalink)
mfh Upright Location: San Francisco	The reason you got sick is not because you aren't washing your hands often enough, or didn't use enough antibacterial cleaners. This is pure marketing and old wives' tales. * Influenza is not a bacteria - it is a virus, and isn't affected by Ajax or Lysol. Furthermore, viruses do not grow on things like metal and plastic. They require hosts, and can survive only a short time outside of the body. This is basic biology. * Bacteria can grow on plastic and other materials, but what good does it do to kill your own bacteria that got you sick? Your body is fighting it, and by the end of your sickness you will have the antibodies required to combat another infection. Did you clean your keyboard and mouse? How about the TV remote? Credit cards? Keys? You can see how fast this will slip into madness. * You just moved to Colorado, and your body does not have antibodies for the local strains of the flu and bacteria floating around in Colorado. This is the same thing that happens when kids go off to college. Which would make sense, because the last time you got this sick was in college, right? * This is also the reason why you need repeated flu shots - if it were all the same strain of flu, you'd need only one, like smallpox or other vaccinations. * When the immune system is occupied or otherwise weakened, secondary infections can happen. This is probably why the pinkeye set in so easily. Also, the pinkeye was probably caused by more different bacteria in Colorado. Please, please, please do not fall into the trap of overusing antibiotic soaps and scrubs. The only thing this does is cause resistance in the bacteria, producing superbugs. The last thing we want is bacteria that doesn't respond to medically prescribed antibiotics. Then you might have a real problem. The things you touch every day over and over harbor trillions of bacteria. This is not a fight you can win. Everything is covered with bacteria, mold, and viruses. The only thing you can do is eat a balanced diet so that your immune system can do its job fully. I'm not a doctor (actually I work with computers), but please, just thinking some things through a little bit will help you avoid getting sick in the future and not spray down your house with unnecessary and toxic solvents and cleaners whose fumes are actually dangerous. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antibacterial_soap http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immune_system http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza __________________ mike Last edited by mfh; 09-16-2007 at 09:13 PM..