Traveling the past two weeks - 30 to 40% don't wash hands

[titaniumsalute]

I've traveled a lot for 20 years of work. But paying attention to the hygiene of guys in bathrooms at a music festival, airports, restaurants, etc. the past few weeks I'd swear that 30 to 40% never washed their hands. A quick tinkle and out the door. No wonder we have so much sickness.

[MontanaMama]

1. My husband says the same thing.

Scares the shit out of me. He also travels a lot for work...shakes hands with a lot of men because his line of work is man-centric. I put him on a plane yesterday. Gulp.

[htuttle]

2. Think about how many people who work in food service (restaurants, etc)...

...not only can't afford to take a day off or go to the doctor, they'll get fired if they do.

All of the tens of millions of Americans who are making minimum wage or just above, or don't have sick leave. None of them can take a day off, and will have to go to work sick (and do so, regularly).

So do I think COVID-19 is going to spread widely? Yes.

[PJMcK]

3. It's even worse

I, too, travel quite a bit and use the mens rooms at airports, train stations, etc.

One of the most disgusting things I see is a man standing at a urinal with one hand taking care of business while the other hand is holding his cellphone to his ear! This is why I never touch another person phone. But additionally, do the people on the other end of the phone know that they've been taken into the john?!

In part of my work, I play piano and before I begin in any studio, I clean the keyboard down with a disinfectant wipe. I've been able to avoid most colds and flus with this simple technique. I try to do the same on airplanes since the airlines really don't clean the planes that well.

Truly, I'm not a germaphobe! These are just simple precautions. Washing one's hands is so easy and it's preventiveness has been proven.

[titaniumsalute]

4. I'm a substitute organist

So yeah I play a lot of different instruments and I always travel with Clorox wipes.

[handmade34]

5. to be fair

handling your privates isn't what spreads the virus...

[titaniumsalute]

7. No offense but this is a ridiculous comment

[handmade34]

8. ...

[Doreen]

6. Hate to break this to women but they are just as bad as men.

I see a lot of women come out of the stall and just leave.

If you work in a elementary school you know that about 85% of those kids do not wash their hands.

I wish there was an alarm and flashing light system that loudly says "did not wash hands" as the person who did not walks out of the restroom.

[Chainfire]

9. Washing hands is overated

I haven't washed my hands since my second grade teacher made me, and I am never sick.

[Alliepoo]

10. I've always called them "butt germs"!

The grands get a big giggle when I say that! Used to work for Ma Bell back when they’d pay for continuing Ed. I liked having my nails done so decided to get my manicurist license. Now at work (Bell) I was an operator at the time and we had to share workspaces, chairs, pencils, computer etc. One person gets up another takes their spot. And working in clinic at nail school I found out how filthy peoples hands were. I started paying very close attention to hand cleanliness and noticed how a surprising number of women I worked with did not wash hands after using the restroom. I brought in Lysol and alcohol and swabbed down everything before I touched it. Keyboard, desk, arms of the chairs and even the pencils we had to use. Anything I could clean got cleaned. Co workers laughed at me til I asked them to pay attention next time they went to the restroom -to the lack of hand washing. Told them those butt germs were all over the doorknobs, work space, vending machines etc that they were touching. Wasnt long til folks were borrowing my alcohol and Lysol and bringing their own in. I always carry hand sanitizer with me and use it in tandem with good old hand washing!