My Campus Is A Hot Zone For Contagious Disease

[spork]

I don't think I've ever before encountered such a large percentage of sick students. Sentinel providers in the state are reporting to the CDC a prevalence of patient visits due to influenza-like illness that is 30 percent higher than it was at the same time last year. I had a head cold last week, but so far no symptoms indicating anything more serious, which I attribute to my practices of not touching door handles, using alcohol gel frequently throughout the day, and irrigating my nasal passages with a neti pot when I get home.

[Parasaurolophus]

I feel like I'm the hot zone this year. It's a seamless transition from one flu or cold to the next.

[nescafe]

We have a collection of N95 masks in the dept. We bought them for wildfires, but they could double for this. I haven't tried lecturing in one, though.

[Caracal]

I don't think I've ever before encountered such a large percentage of sick students. Sentinel providers in the state are reporting to the CDC a prevalence of patient visits due to influenza-like illness that is 30 percent higher than it was at the same time last year. I had a head cold last week, but so far no symptoms indicating anything more serious, which I attribute to my practices of not touching door handles, using alcohol gel frequently throughout the day, and irrigating my nasal passages with a neti pot when I get home.

How does one not touch door handles?

[apl68]

I don't think I've ever before encountered such a large percentage of sick students. Sentinel providers in the state are reporting to the CDC a prevalence of patient visits due to influenza-like illness that is 30 percent higher than it was at the same time last year. I had a head cold last week, but so far no symptoms indicating anything more serious, which I attribute to my practices of not touching door handles, using alcohol gel frequently throughout the day, and irrigating my nasal passages with a neti pot when I get home.

How does one not touch door handles?

It's a Jedi thing.

But I assume spork is referring to an avoidance of direct contact between door handles and skin.

[spork]

Yes. I use a jacket sleeve or a paper towel.

[marshwiggle]

I don't think I've ever before encountered such a large percentage of sick students. Sentinel providers in the state are reporting to the CDC a prevalence of patient visits due to influenza-like illness that is 30 percent higher than it was at the same time last year. I had a head cold last week, but so far no symptoms indicating anything more serious, which I attribute to my practices of not touching door handles, using alcohol gel frequently throughout the day, and irrigating my nasal passages with a neti pot when I get home.

How does one not touch door handles?

It's a Jedi thing.

This isn't the classroom you were looking for.

[backatit]

And this is why I love teaching fully online. No more students coughing in my face: "Dr. Backatit, I dragged myself in to turn in this paper..."

Note: I realize I could prevent this just by enforcing an "e-mail me your paper if you're sick" rule, but students don't always KNOW they're sick...

[Caracal]

And this is why I love teaching fully online. No more students coughing in my face: "Dr. Backatit, I dragged myself in to turn in this paper..."

Note: I realize I could prevent this just by enforcing an "e-mail me your paper if you're sick" rule, but students don't always KNOW they're sick...

Students are far less of a threat than the constant stream of viruses I get from my toddler's daycare. I make sure to wash my hands well before I eat, but anything else seems like overkill.

[backatit]

And this is why I love teaching fully online. No more students coughing in my face: "Dr. Backatit, I dragged myself in to turn in this paper..."

Note: I realize I could prevent this just by enforcing an "e-mail me your paper if you're sick" rule, but students don't always KNOW they're sick...

Students are far less of a threat than the constant stream of viruses I get from my toddler's daycare. I make sure to wash my hands well before I eat, but anything else seems like overkill.

True; all of my kids are grown, and that actually coincided with moving to teaching fully online, so it was probably a combination of things.

[Aster]

Our Faculty-Only restrooms have certainly gotten a lot more dedicated use in the last few weeks.

[hungry_ghost]

How does one not touch door handles?

Yes. I use a jacket sleeve or a paper towel.

I don't think I've willingly touched a door handle or elevator button in public since 2003 (SARS).
Elevator button = key.
Door handle = sleeve or paper towel. When I'm wearing short sleeves, if no one is around, I've been known to pull up my shirt and hold the handle through my shirt if no paper towels are available. Or wait for someone else and catch the door with my foot.
Escalators are the worst ...

[Caracal]

How does one not touch door handles?

Yes. I use a jacket sleeve or a paper towel.

I don't think I've willingly touched a door handle or elevator button in public since 2003 (SARS).
Elevator button = key.
Door handle = sleeve or paper towel. When I'm wearing short sleeves, if no one is around, I've been known to pull up my shirt and hold the handle through my shirt if no paper towels are available. Or wait for someone else and catch the door with my foot.
Escalators are the worst ...

Perhaps I'm wrong, but I wonder if that is really particularly protective. Germs can go on your sleeves and easily be transferred into your nose or mouth from there. You also probably touch your sleeve at various times throughout the day and then you just get the germs anyway. Hands seems better since you can wash them regularly.

https://www.citylab.com/life/2015/03/pretty-much-all-of-your-weird-germ-avoidance-behaviors-are-pointless/386015/

Key quote: The bottom line is that you shouldn't live in fear of high-traffic surfaces. According to Blaser, this type of contact simply isn't the way people get sick. "We don't get much disease from surfaces," he says.

[polly_mer]

Key quote: The bottom line is that you shouldn't live in fear of high-traffic surfaces. According to Blaser, this type of contact simply isn't the way people get sick. "We don't get much disease from surfaces," he says.

The CDC recommends disinfecting frequently touched surfaces in schools: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/school/cleaning.htm

The CDC recommends disinfecting frequently touched surfaces at work: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/actions-prevent-flu.htm

That's why the CDC lists surfaces as a concern to help prevent the spread of infections in hospitals: https://www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/spread/index.html

Always wash one's hands for the recommended time using soap tops every list, but germs spread through surfaces are a thing.  Mythbusters did a piece on it and found many common objects are dirtier than a toilet seat including nastier germs.  The typical suggestion is to use a paper towel on the restroom door instead of a sleeve due to cross-contamination.

[Caracal]

Key quote: The bottom line is that you shouldn't live in fear of high-traffic surfaces. According to Blaser, this type of contact simply isn't the way people get sick. "We don't get much disease from surfaces," he says.

The CDC recommends disinfecting frequently touched surfaces in schools: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/school/cleaning.htm

The CDC recommends disinfecting frequently touched surfaces at work: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/actions-prevent-flu.htm

That's why the CDC lists surfaces as a concern to help prevent the spread of infections in hospitals: https://www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/spread/index.html

Always wash one's hands for the recommended time using soap tops every list, but germs spread through surfaces are a thing.  Mythbusters did a piece on it and found many common objects are dirtier than a toilet seat including nastier germs.  The typical suggestion is to use a paper towel on the restroom door instead of a sleeve due to cross-contamination.

There's a difference between public health measures and personal precautions. Hospitals are places with particularly vulnerable people particularly susceptible to infections. Obviously it makes sense to make sure surfaces are being cleaned regularly and the same is true in any kind of building being used by large numbers of people.  Notice, however, that the CDC is not recommending that individuals should avoid touching door handles. That's because there's really no evidence that this kind of individual action is going to make much difference. As the other article points out, you aren't really likely to be exposed to viruses in this manner in the first place and even if you are, the basic advice about washing your hands regularly and avoiding touching your face is going to be a lot more effective than trying to not touch anything.