Had you thought about these things as a way you're getting sick?

[alfreda89]

Well, for years I've been grabbing a towel to open public restroom doors, but I had not considered the build on menus -- and I sure didn't know about lemons!

I'll miss lemons, sigh --

http://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-03-2011/8-germiest-places.1.html

Comments

[dancinghorse.livejournal.com]

You could always bring your own lemon wedge from home.

The problem with being germ-phobic is that there's a growing awareness that we're doing two things: creating germicide-resistant germs, and creating generations of people with inadequate immune systems. So while people with compromised immune systems need to be careful everywhere, the average citizen may be better off with more exposure rather than less.

[alfreda89.livejournal.com]

I might, depending on how much notice I have on the trip. I'm a little fragile immune-wise right now, so I need to be careful. I don't use anti-bacterial soaps, though -- soap and water do fine, and keep the system strong!

[originalkitsune.livejournal.com]

I realize you have special conditions that garner the need to be extra careful of pathogens, but this article borders on ridiculous for the average person. You can tell a poor quality article about pathogens when they use the word "germs" because they don't know whether to emphasize viruses or bacteria and just hop from one to another. I mean touching a public bathroom is gross; I try not to. But the office phone and keyboard of your work mates (and many people touch those) is grosser and that is not amazingly listed. Also, keeping your toothbrush in your own bathroom has HUGE measurable fecal colonies on it if you don't keep it in a covered place because every time you flush a #2, EVEN WITH THE LID ON, it sprays fecal materials in the air. Lemons themselves are been used to fight off many viruses such as HIV and are bacteriostatic to many bacteria. Just because there are some measurable colonies on an item doesn't mean it is thriving. It is probably that way from being handled in the kitchen or by the server because they don't typically put on gloves to make those and I'm sure sandwiches not put together by people with gloves (because of not being cooked) will also have high bacteria counts.
What to really do? Don't order an uncooked item from a restaurant menu or don't eat out.

[alfreda89.livejournal.com]

I did wonder about the use of the word "germs" in this article. Yes, thank heavens for the little toothbrush covers that come with the new electric toothbrushes! And I would have thought they would have mentioned keyboards and phones, since people do share them at work, and more people working now belong to AARP.

Whoever is the editor over this area is not doing a very good job selecting reprint articles, perhaps. Too bad -- they have been informative on other topics.

Still, looks like you have a topic for your next health post! ;^)

[apricot-tree.livejournal.com]

I confess I am highly suspicious of the lemon scare. None of the articles I've seen has explained WHY lemons are supposed to be so risky. What is it about the lemons? Nothing about storage or where they come from. As I understand it - they're kept like anything else in a restaurant kitchen. So if the lemons are so nasty, what about everything else? The salad, for instance. Really it doesn't make any sense.

[alfreda89.livejournal.com]

I'm guessing they are suggesting that people may not wash off the lemons before use? Which I doubt, but that could happen. Or that people might not wash their hands before grabbing slices and putting them on the rims?