Contagious Flu

June 10, 2009 by Colin
Filed under: Uncategorized

Contagious Flu

Here is a list of areas/items from which we can become infected. They may all seem just plain common sense, but we all need reminding just where we can pick up contagious flu and where they may linger and for how long. A few areas/items may surprise.

There are some obvious ones like, door handles, loo flush buttons/handles, elevator buttons, and store trolleys. Everywhere we touch in our cars, the steering wheel in particular. It seems there are more bugs and viruses hatching on your steering wheel than on a toilet seat! Gear selector radio and /DVD controls. At home TV/video remotes, shared drinking arrangements cups/glasses. Public transport grab rails/handles and common area contacts. Wallets/purses and ladies handbags. Finally ATM machines and the all important, CASH, notes and coin.

When you think about it, cash, in particular notes, are not only handled by bank cashiers (hopefully, they are instructed in a daily routine of hygiene hand care). So, handling cash MUST be one of the main areas of catching contagious flu. In fact its dirty money!
Beware of persons handling food, cooks handling food and also taking cash and giving change, is a minefield of contagion.

Think about it, countless dollars, pounds, euros, yen, Swiss francs are all handled daily by billions of the population. It’s remarkable that the subject of cash/notes has rarely arisen. It can happen that when a person coughs or sneezes on to cash it can become infected.
A study by Switzerland’s Central Laboratory of Virology at the University Hospital in Geneva carried out a test to see what would transpire when a flu virus was placed on Swiss franc notes. A flu virus with nasal mucosa was placed on banknotes, the results extraordinary…..

When cultured by human mucus the flu bugs survived up to 17 days in some cases the study suggested that when nasal secretions on hands are transmitted to bank notes then contagious flu viruses have more persistence than previously thought.

According to Dr.Philip Tierno, director of clinical biology and immunology in New York and author of “The Secret life of Germs” indicated that three events must occur for a contagious flu virus to be passed from one person to another via cash. First, a person who is infected with swine flu must sneeze or cough on to a bill or blow their nose and leaving remnants of mucosa on the note. Next, an uninfected person would need to touch the money whilst the virus persists to become infected.

It would seem, to be super critical, just don’t handle cash at all but rely more on credit card transactions. Although plastic can retain a virus but its time of infection is limited to about one hour and of course it will not be handled as frequently as cash!
Dr.Rani Bright, assistant professor of Microbiology and Forensic medicine at Philadelphia Collage of Osteopathic Medicine says that is a big unknown at present whether contagious flu will continue to mutate and grow stronger.
To be safe and sure, and for extra protection it is recommended that you keep a supply of antiseptic disinfectant wipes handy, both in the car and at home, and only use them to clean small areas at a time, otherwise they too can be a medium to spread contagious flu.

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