OT flu preqautions???

[greg g]

Went to my doctor today, his office is in a large medical building with many other doctors and medical services also having offices in the place. The hallways and lobbies and doorways are festooned with anti bacterial soap dispensers, and signage directing patients and visitors to use the soap liberally and frequently to help manage the spread of seasonal flu and H1N1.

Seems at first blush like a good idea, until you think about it. What good is anti bacterial hand goo against diseases that are caused by VIRUSES. No wonder the health system is in the shape its in.................

[Don Coatney]

Why do banks spend the money to have braile push buttons at a drive through ATM? No wonder we are in a financial chrisis.

[Captain Neon]

Medical facilities use antiseptic soap because that is what they have in stock. It is still of utmost importance to wash one's hands to diminish the spread of any infections. Now, I won't get into the overuse of antiseptics or the situation that happens too often in both the medical and food manufacturing professions that we are required to wash our hands so much that it becomes a hazard rather than a prevention. Sometimes, things are just for show to please the hypochondriac and pseudo-scientists. Cheaper and easier to install handwash stations w/ antiseptic soap and hand sanitiser than to hire some one full-time to field comments and complaints.

Take home message. It is still good to wash one's hands frequently to reduce the spread of illness.

[greg g]

Yes wash with soap and water and rinse the stuff off and down the drain, not rub with medicated goo, that has no efficacy against viruses, and then leave the stuff on your hands. Just a windfall for the janitorial service that installed them, and the soap company that puts the wrong stuff in them.

[Captain Neon]

Please note my comments about hypochondriacs and pseudo-scientists. I do not disagree w/ you about hand sanitisers. I hate the bloody stuff. I think they cause more harm than good. I don't even like the antiseptic additives in soap. I also don't like the propensity to use chemical sanitisers in the food industry rather than 180*F (82C) water rinse. Too many idiots that don't have the sense to use 180*F (82C) water safely. In my opinion, antiseptics should be used almost exclusively for surgical prep.

[TodFitch]

...snip... Seems at first blush like a good idea, until you think about it. What good is anti bacterial hand goo against diseases that are caused by VIRUSES. No wonder the health system is in the shape its in.................

It is my understanding that simply washing your hands with any type of soap dramatically reduces the spreading of viral diseases like the flu and the common cold. So the "anti-bacterial" part of the soap is not really doing anything for this use, the simple use of soap and water is the big deal.

There is also some talk that having anti-bacterial everything is counter productive: People don't get sick that less often but it does help create antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria that are then harder to fight when you do get sick. And the antibiotic stuff that gets into the water system can cause significant harm to the first rungs on the food chain. Don't get me started on the huge use of antibiotics at factory farms... Talk about a factory for drug resistant diseases.

[Captain Neon]

Tod-

All very true. You will hear or read no arguments from me.

I was even prescribed an antibiotic after having an ear blockage cleared. I am required to wear ear plugs at work. Switched to a different type of ear plug after that with no problems since.

No ear infection, but they wanted me on the antibiotic in case they had scraped too hard or something. They just used water and an otoscope. I didn't have an ear infection and never developed one. I sure wasn't going to make an antibiotic if I didn't have a serious ear infection with danger of spreading or making me deaf.

My employer requires me to use the antiseptic soap when I enter the production area, but I sure don't like to do it. An industry requirement devised by "experts" that got Cs in HS Biology and get their scientific information from CSPI.

[Normspeed]

Had to give some specimens at the last doctor visit. I found the facilities were well set up and maintained.

[greg g]

When we visited the fellow with the collections of case tractor collection on our maryland trip, he had some red and white corn cobs in a basket atop his convenience.

On the wall across from the throne were instructions for the use of the cobs.

Use the red ones first, then use a white one to see if you need to use another red one.

[Norm's Coupe]

I agree, simple hand washing with regular soap is usually all that's required.

That said. Greg, did you get your flu shot while at the doctor's office? I think that's probably the best prevention of the flu. I use to get colds and ear infections quite a bit up until about 10 years or so ago, when the wife and I first started getting flu shots every year. Since then, I have not had the flu, nor have I had any colds or ear infections, nor has the wife. So.........those flu shots must help with the common cold and ear infections too. You really don't have to go to a doctor to get them either. Around here they have nurses in some stores giving the shots on certain days. We got ours while at Walgreen's about a month ago. No line, so it only took about 10 or 15 minutes.

[greg g]

Never have had a flu shot. He metined it but I said no thanks.

[Norm's Coupe]

Well Greg, we swear by them. But......on the other hand my wife's brother and his wife don't get the shots either, and she worked at a hospital in radiology all her life before retiring in 03. But........the difference between them and us is. Every Thanksgiving and Christmas when we get together, they both have real bad colds.

But.......it's also up to each individual to do what they think best for their self. Some people can't take the shots due to other medication they take too.

[Normspeed]

My doc won't give me flu shots. Seems I have a mild allergy to eggs, although I still eat them. But flu serum is based on albumen (egg whites?) and the doc doesn't want to inject the stuff.

Speaking of injections, seems like this season the local TV news folks have taken a great liking to broadcasting footage of people getting the needle stuck in them. Especially close up shots. I can't think of a bigger deterrent to folks getting the shot. Idiots.

[Norm's Coupe]

There was something on TV about the people in medical care being required to get the shots too. Some have refused, but don't know it they got a court order or not.

Back in the 60's when I was in the military, you didn't have choice either when it came to getting shots, of any kind. You really got a lot of them then, especially when getting ready to go overseas to Europe or Asia.