we can't help what's in the air. well, we can wear a mask - and some do in this season here. but when ppl sneeze they also spray particles onto surfaces, from which they can then be inhaled, even if in lesser proportion since not already airborne.

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when i am out... i do not put my hands to my face, esp nose/eyes/mouth.

as a general rule. i'm in big trouble now because of my macabre cuticle eating issue, which i'm trying to resolve - fight. but i especially try to fight that when out.

when i get to my pdocs i immediately wash my hands with his disinfectant soap.

i use paper towel to dry and i shut the tap with that paper towel, AFTER DRYING MY HANDS -i do not touch tap after washing, nor do i touch the door handle (i close the door using the edge of my wrist).

then i sit with my pdoc. when i leave, he shakes my hand. but i am going out and about again so i no longer consider hands clean anyway. i just like getting them clean while i'm there - because sometimes i cry or whatever, and touch my face.

now. i think this sanitization thing probably works. the thing is i bet a lot of people don't realize that once they're in a heavily populated area, or touch common surfaces, it is likely that their freshly washed hands will become infected.

so do not put them in/near your eyes, nose or mouth!

another issues - different concept. most/many "germs" can be killed with antiseptics or even plain soap/detergent. some cannot. salmonella requires boiling for what is it 10-15 minutes? BOILING, people! or BLEACH.

The HIV virus on the other hand is very delicate and can't survive more than a few minutes outside of blood or body fluids and preferably in the body itself.

Herpes, on the other hand is another resilient one. It might survive a light wash - in fact the process can spread it to other areas of the skin. drying areas with a break out using the same general towel is less than prudent. the virus can survive on a towel for days and when you dry other parts you can re-inoculate yourself (it doesn't change much, but every "site-of-entry" for Herpes is a more likely site of outbreak. Herpes can survive for days in a "hostile" environment ... on various surfaces too. Another reason for extra prudence in public restrooms and not "picking up" that shampoo that someone "abandoned" in the bathroom at the gym. you don't know what's on it, nor how easily you could get it.

so. the other big question is, how sensitive is this influenza virus and what agents kill it effectively?

it COULD be that hand sanitizers - provided you don't then go and touch more stuff and wipe your nose - are in fact helpful. depending on what the virus is susceptible to.

~ waves ~ sorry for the speech. hey at least it distracted me. something medical always manages to distract me. but i am too old and broke to study medicine now, lovely huh.