I’m having a quick browse of the news pages looking for some inspiration for today’s post. My mind is a little numb due to a few rough nights with Miss M sleep wise, so while I have a few ideas I’m struggling to feel much motivation. When suddenly I come across a story that actually turns my stomach and I feel the need to share. (You lucky, lucky people.)
It’s one of those stories that makes you proud to be British…ok, I’m lying.
It’s one of those stories that makes you want to vomit, and could actually result in the need for a sick bucket amongst other things in a very real way.
You see, according to Scientists from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine,
“More than one in four commuters has bacteria from faeces on their hands.”
Isn’t that lovely?
Apparently, having swabbed 409 people at bus and train stations in five major cities in England and Wales they discovered that sometimes up to 53% of men and 36% of women had dirty mitts, and the further north they went, the worse the problem got with men in Newcastle being the biggest offenders.
It kind of freaks me out that while I make sure my kids always wash their hands after using the bathroom, there are a huge number of adults who haven’t yet got the concept that
POO = GERMS = A WEEK ON THE TOILET
It also kind of freaks me out that the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine felt the need to do this study. I mean, who’s idea was it to go out there and see if we were a nation of pooey hands?
And do they feel pleased that their study proved to be surprisingly correct for a large percentage of those swabbed?
But the best bit, is that at the end of this informative piece, BBC News 24 felt the need to ask this question;
Are you meticulous in your hand hygiene habits? Have you been ill because of poor handwashing? Send us your comments by completing the form below.
I mean, who is going to answer yes to the second part? Can you imagine it?
“I never wash my hands after using the dunny and germs have never done me any harm. Even when I had salmonella for a whole year and a gangrenous pinky finger I never washed my hands. Soap is for pansies.” (Mr Stinkwold, Newcastle.)
“We always wondered what that smell was.”
(Gerry and Fenella Pongsmith, Liverpool)
Makes you think twice about holding onto that pole on the bus or train though doesn’t it?
Oh, and the study was done as part of the world’s first Global Hand-washing Day, dedicated to raising awareness about the importance hand hygiene plays in public health. So that makes it a good thing I suppose, but very scary.
October 15th, 2008 at 10:02 am
Do you know, I very nearly blogged about that today too. It’s positively disgusting and makes me very glad I’m not a commuter any more.
October 15th, 2008 at 10:22 am
Errm…better than…slugs? Bits of chopped up dead people?
It can always be worse?
No..no…that doesn’t help. That’s just yucky!
October 15th, 2008 at 10:40 am
Just gobsmacked.
And embarrassed.
I shouldn’t be – I have SEEN adults leave washrooms without washing and whispered to my children that this is NOT RIGHT. NOT CLEAN. It only takes a minute to wash.
Ugh. Not surprised.
But embarrassed (to be from England? I am also a northerner…. I also come originally from the North East, although not Newcastle, almost Newcastle…*sigh*)
But I DO WASH MY HANDS. Yes I do. Honest.
October 15th, 2008 at 10:47 am
Nasty!
But sadly, not all that surprising. Doorknobs make me want to hurl just to think about… Ew!
October 15th, 2008 at 11:04 am
I think I just threw up in my mouth a bit. ewwww….
October 15th, 2008 at 11:19 am
eeeuuuugggghhhh!!
let’s run away from germs and embrace loveliness instead! We’d like to invite you to the http://www.mini-et-moi.com Supermummy Event on 28th October in London. Champagne, cupcakes, fabulous raffle prizes, goodie bags, and a creche too!
Check out this link for more info:
http://mini-et-moi.com/2008/10/03/thats-super-mummy/
or email michelle@mini-et-moi.com
October 15th, 2008 at 11:40 am
I’m really big on hand washing being raised my a nurse and having a mom, brother and a few cousins with an immune deficiency. I know this is gross, but you would be surprised of how many people do get sick because of other people not being clean. Let me give 2 examples: 1- A little girl we use to be friends with had got sick with E Coli. Found out a child that went to her school was the problem. Her mom didn’t clean well on her counter tops. This child almost died. 2- Another child I know very well got really sick once with a very rare virus or whatever they called it. It was from digesting your body waste. Well, I know this child did not do this and they tested to the day care. It was because kids would wipe but not wash their hands. He almost died. Why did only one child out of 20 or 30 in each group get sick? I don’t know, but I do know that Dr’s are finding out if you keep your hands clean that you are less likely to spread germs or get them in you mouth, nose or eyes and make you sick. A few people I know carry around Germ X in their purse or pocket. I carry baby wipes for when I can’t wash my hands. Until the last year or so we would have a towel in the bathroom to dry your hands after washing, but realised that it would have bad germs on it also. Now we keep paper towels. I know it cost more, but in the long run it less cost on Dr bills. Trying to cut cost on Dr bills maybe the reason of this test.
I hope I made since with my rambling.
Hugs!
October 15th, 2008 at 11:51 am
Thanks Jo! I’m already a pretty big germophobe…and now….I’m feeling the need to sanitize my office. LOL
October 15th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
I always wash my hands.
I work in a school and you wouldn’t believe how many teachers (female, don’t know about the males) don’t wash after using the toilet! So much so that notices have been put up on the doors to remind them!:(
October 15th, 2008 at 1:49 pm
this is a big US issue too.
and if you can feature this, some NURSES have this same problem. and they have a problem washing their hands going from patients room to room. It’s bad…
October 15th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
Hurk.
I was an obsessive handwasher before nursing school. I’ve only gotten worse since. And don’t get me started on public washroom doors. Yark.
October 15th, 2008 at 4:14 pm
Hmmm, I can’t decide if this falls in the category of stuff I’m glad I know or stuff I’d rather not be made aware of.
October 15th, 2008 at 5:55 pm
I always see articles where they rank American cities in order of cleanliness on public transportation—very disconcerting. And yes, MANY people don’t wash their hands after using the toilet. I always have a small heart attack when I read that… and even worse is being in a public bathroom and watching someone come out of the stall and walk right out the door. ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!
October 15th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
LMAO!! Wal read this to me this morning! Welsh girls are NAAAASTY!!!
October 15th, 2008 at 8:02 pm
I was once congratulated by a woman in the ladies loo/restroom for helping my then 3 year old to wash her hands. I was horrified. “What?” I said to her “Don’t ALL parents teach their kids to wash their hands after using the bathroom?” (thinking to myself “especially a public bathroom”). She said “We all hope so, but that’s not the reality”. I was absolutely shocked.
I’ve never bothered with the disinfectant wipes that the supermarket provides for you to wipe your trolley handle with, but I’m beginning to think I should.
Naive of Midwest.
October 16th, 2008 at 6:01 am
AOJ, it’s disgusting isn’t it? Bleurghhhh.
Kim it’s just gross. I was so shocked.
CrazyCath, I was so surprised. It really is disgusting but I’m hoping it’s mainly a weird commuter thing. Maybe they are too busy to stop and wash. Yuck.
Sybil, now I have thought about it and I do want to hurl. Bleck.
Hi Loveyh, sorry for the vomit inducement.
Michelle I would love to do that but hubby needs the car that way and we are in sunny Mansfield so a little too far. Have a fab time though, it sounds great.
Kitten it’s such a worry isn’t it, especially with family members that are vulnerable to infection. Hope they keep well. And you made perfect sense hon.
Corey, I always think of phones in offices. Yuck.
Akela that is so bad. I used to work in secondary and I was always catching something. Now I know why.
Mie, that is bad but has also been a big problem over here. They’re really trying to stop MRSAs now so people are becoming more aware but obviously not too much so.
Thalia’s Child, hurk. Hee hee.
DFTF, I think it falls into both. I must admit I’ve thought about it more as I shopped with Miss M today. She snacked on a cheese string and I made sure I didn’t touch her food as I was pushing a trolley/cart. Bleurghhhh.
Susan,that is gross. I have had Misses E and M comment on people leaving without washing their hands and it’s the one time I don’t tell them to shush if the people can hear. It’s just too vile.
Lindy, we must warn Holl. She lives in Cardiff with the stinky girls. Shiver.
Iota, I want wipes for my trolley. Boo. It is amazing that some kids don’t get taught this though isn’t it? And gross to think they might be borrowing our kids pens. Bleurghhh. Ok I’ll stop that now, shiver.
October 16th, 2008 at 8:19 am
Hahahahahaha! Disgustingly funny.
Of course, I always wash my hands. With soap.
But it frightens me how many people don’t.
I once babysat a little chap whose mother was clearly teaching him proper hygiene. But he was learning-resistant (if not germ resistant.) He’d hold his hands under the sink (without turning it on) and say “Washy-wash” and then come out. One day I came up with an ingenious solution (well, ingenious for a 19-year-old college student/babysitter!) He asked me to wash an apple for him, so I held it under the kitchen sink, without turning on the water, and said, “Washy-wash!” Suddenly this was unacceptable. I sent him back to the bathroom to wash up, and he never did the washy-wash trick again!
October 16th, 2008 at 9:04 am
ok, that’s nasty… funny, i was at a restaurant the other day, and a woman came in w/her young son. As he was in the stall, she kept saying “don’t touch anything! dont touch anything and aim well!” and he said “mommy, should I flush with my shoe like you taught me?”
Very interesting..
Also why after I dry my hands I take another paper towel and open the door… that handle is GROSS.
October 16th, 2008 at 9:30 am
a few years ago the talking heads here did a similar analysis/issued a statement about how germs breed and why one should wash their hands more often – ‘they’ said those sanitizing hand gels DO NOT work any better than plain old soap and water AND soap/water doesnt dry your skin the way those sanitizers do .. I’m just saying .. cover your mouth when you cough, turn away from people when you sneeze AND please wash your hands after you use the loo .. and after sneezing or coughing into your hands … seriously ..
October 16th, 2008 at 10:10 am
On the whole, people are very resilient to germs and are exposed to many of them all day long and we o not get sick from every one of them. We do get overly concerned with being hygienic and take it to a point that is beyond necessary. A little bit of dirt is a healthy thing and strengthens your immune system. Yes, do wash your hands after using the bathroom, but don’t get neurotic about door knobs and hand rails. I am very nonchalant about all these things and I never get sick. Not even a cold.