Public Restrooms Are Major Germ Zones—Here's How to Stay Safe
Coronavirus, flu, colds, and other nasty bugs lurk around toilets, stalls, and faucets.
You might not be spending as much time in public places as you did pre-pandemic, but sometimes using a public restroom is necessary. So what can you do to avoid harmful viruses and bacteria when you've gotta go? While COVID-19 is probably the first threat that comes to mind, it’s also cold and flu season. That means lots of nasty bugs are lurking in the air or on surfaces, ready to get into your body primarily via your eyes, nose, and mouth and make you sick.
“A public bathroom is a petri dish,” Carol A. Winner, MPH, founder of the Give Space personal distancing movement in 2017, tells Health. “Considering the number of steel surfaces, doorknobs, and toilet handles, it’s important to use caution.” According to the Mayo Clinic, cold and flu viral particles can live on hard surfaces for several hours. Much about the coronavirus is still unknown, but the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says that "the virus can survive for a short period on some surfaces."
Then there's the toilet itself. Simply flushing can expel as much as 60% of produced aerosols (fine solid particles or liquid droplets formed from the contents in the bowl, from you and even others before you) three feet into the air above the seat, reported a June study in the journal Physics of Fluids. This phenomenon is known as “toilet plume” or “toilet turbulence," and it can be filed under “things the average person worries about now that they didn’t used to.”
When it comes to restroom safety, it’s important to note the difference between a virus and bacteria. A bacterium is a microorganism that can live on its own for longer periods than a virus. One example found in restrooms is E. coli, which can be present in feces and if accidentally ingested causes diarrhea, vomiting, and other potentially serious GI distress.
A virus, on the other hand, "requires a host, which is you,” says Winner. The combination of bacteria and the coronavirus could prove to be a double whammy. “Bacteria can wreak havoc on our gut, among other things, and of course when we’re not healthy and have to fight other conditions, we are most vulnerable to secondary infection,” explains Winner. “The coronavirus is quite virulent, so extra care must be taken in public places.”
You don’t have any control over what other people do in a public restroom, or how well (and how often) it’s cleaned. But there are plenty of steps to take to avoid coming into contact with infectious germs—like these eight below.
Practice Social Distancing In The Restroom
Cover Your Hands So You Don't Touch Surfaces Directly
Get In And Out As Quickly As Possible
Mask Up On The Toilet
Once your mask is on, leave it alone. “Make sure not to touch your mask after touching anything within the bathroom, from door or stall handles to faucets or soap dispensers,” says Rimoin. Doing so can easily transfer germs from your hand to your mask, which puts them close to your eyes, nose, and mouth—the entry points for the coronavirus as well as cold, flu, and other infections. When you’ve left the restroom, you can remove your mask and dispose of it or take it home to be washed.
Wash Your Hands Right
Unfortunately, many people skip this important step; recent research found that only 65% of women and 31% of men wash their hands after using the restroom. “Don’t be that person ever, and especially during a pandemic, as you can actually wreak harm on others by contaminating environments all around you,” warns Winner.
Dry Your Hands With A Paper Towel
Dry them right after you finish washing. "Germs can be transferred more easily to and from wet hands,” states the CDC. If you don't have any paper towels or are out of wipes or tissues, use the dryer rather than leave the restroom with your hands wet.
Don’t Ditch That Paper Towel Too Soon
Stay Off Your Smartphone
Important Notice: This article was originally published at www.health.com by Claire Gillespie where all credits are due.
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