How to Decrease the Risk of Contracting a Super bug or Other Infection

There is growing concern over the staph and strep infections that have become drug resistant from an overuse of antibiotics, something virologists began warning the government and doctors about over fifteen years ago. There are also some simple steps that you can take to decrease your family's risk of contracting infections and harmful bacteria at home and in the community.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Teach your children to always wash their hands after finishing up in the bathroom, after each meal and after contact with pets, other children, and outdoor play. Remind your children each time until hand washing becomes a habit.
2. Carry antiseptic towelettes in a purse or billfold to wipe hands after eating at a self service restaurants like buffets and family or club picnic and dinners where everyone uses the same serving utensils.
3. Many stores have antiseptic wipes located near the shopping carts. Use either those towelettes or your own to wipe down the handle of the cart before shopping, and afterwards to help protect the next shopper.
4. Keep fingernails clean.
5. If hospitalized watch and make sure nursing and housekeeping staff wear gloves when in the room. When they leave make sure gloves are disposed of in the trash can and not on the sink or other surface. If the nurses need to have their gloves off for a minute make sure they wash their hands thoroughly before touching anything or leaving the room.
6. At the gym or health club always wear rubber or other shoes on your feet except when in the pool, especially in the shower or steam room. The warm moist air is a perfect breeding ground for most bacteria. Wipe down the handles of exercise or weight lifting equipment before use if possible.
7. If you have children in child care inspect the bathroom to make sure there is plenty of soap and paper towels, find out what the hand washing policy is and that all surfaces are cleaned with a disinfectant daily. Make sure surfaces where children eat are wiped down after each meal. This rule should also apply to schools.
8. Talk to your child's teachers, child care providers, and school principals and nurses and make sure there is a policy in place for the notification of parents when any child is diagnosed with a serious infection, disease or virus. If there is no policy ask the school or school district to please develop one.
9. You and your family should bend an arm and cough or sneeze into the crook of the arm. Covering the mouth with a hand allows germs to be transferred onto other surfaces you and your children touch including the arms and hands of other people during play, work or greetings.

Tips & Warnings

• Washing hands and items that have been touched by other people who may not practise good hygiene minimizes the transference of skin particles, sweat, bacteria and viruses spread by onto your hands.
• There liquid antiseptic soaps and foams available that do not require water or rinsing. They are great for home use where rinsing takes extra time and we are perpetually in a hurry as are most of our children.
• Waterless antiseptic soap also minimizes the risk of young children getting burned by turning on a hot water faucet.
• The increase of contagious diseases, infections, and viruses is also caused by the bodily contact in crowded school buses, over crowded classrooms, child care centers, multiple families being forced to share one home, and other areas where a large number of people congregate like stadiums and school functions.
• The number one cause of infections is poor hygiene and not knowing the proper way to cough or sneeze.
• Viruses cannot be treated or cured with antibiotics. Viruses like the flu usually only last twenty-four to forty-eight hours.
• STAPH BACTERIA CAN BE TRANSMITTED TO YOUR INFANT THROUGH BREAST MILK. IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A STAPH INFECTION STOP BREAST FEEDING UNTIL BEING TESTED BY DOCTOR.