Easy to put finger on germ hangouts
Germs are everywhere, and they can live on surfaces from a few hours to a few weeks!
Have you ever wondered where those germs like to live the most?
The top 10 germ-tastic places are:
•Playgrounds
•Bus rails/armrests
•Public bathrooms
•Shopping cart handles
•Escalator handrails
•Chair armrests
•Vending machine buttons
•Shared pens
•Public telephones
•Elevator buttons
Did you know that when germs are sneezed, they can reach speeds of 200 mph? That’s like a racing car traveling at you.
Thank goodness germs are so small that we don’t see or feel them hitting us.
Think you know the dirtiest part of your whole body?
Think again – it’s your mouth. More than 100 million micro-creatures live there at any one time.
About 1,000 species of bacteria live in our bodies. Most of the bacteria in our bodies actually help keep us healthy. Killing all bacteria on and in you, despite what you may read in advertisements or see in commercials, will make you more vulnerable to disease.
Most people get colds and flu from handling something with germs on it, then putting their fingers in their mouths, touching food that then goes into their mouths or even from rubbing their eyes.
The mouth has natural defenses against germ attacks in the saliva, whereas the eyes have virtually no protection. Keep your fingers out of your eyes and mouth and you’ll be healthier.
For more information, visit www.mcmillencenter.org and click on FRED. If you are a NISTEM member and want to earn points for rewards, go to www.NISTEM.org, log in and complete the FRED December 2009 “Germ” Quiz. If you are not a NISTEM member, you can become one at www.NISTEM.org.
What am I going to wear on the first day of school? It’s a question many kids ask themselves the night before the first day of school. Well, don’t wait until the last second, plan ahead.