flu shot

I thought I was the only one scared of picking up germs from door handles etc. I hate using public loos even in good department stores because often their loos aren't as well maintained as they should be.

I’ve got antiviral foam from Boots (in the UK). I’m not sure how well it works, but it can’t be too bad as I’ve never caught colds/flu when I’ve used it, although I avoid opening doors/holding onto rails with my bare hands. It’s a shame other people can’t be more careful. Straight out of the loo to the outside door without going anywhere near soap and water!

The antibacterial stuff gives me very sorry hands so is this kinder on the skin?

It's alcohol free and very mild. According to the bottle, it "kills 99.9% of viruses and harmful bacteria" and "is kind to sensitive skin". It's made by Boots.

Is it to use as a hand wash or afterwards or do you use it just before you go out. I must admit I think I'm getting a bit neurotic about germs but I do seem constantly I'll with colds or fever.

You just need a couple of squirts applied onto dry hands. Apparently it's active for up to six hours, but I squirt/hand wash more frequently than that.

The instructions on the bottle:

Apply 1 to 2 pumps onto dry hands and rub well together until dry. Repeat as necessary. Do not rinse off.

It gives me peace of mind, although of course you can't avoid the bugs you inhale when someone coughs, sneezes or breathes over you, but I feel it's something, as we have to touch so many surfaces and objects when we're out and about.

 

Hi porgi

You shouldn't feel paranoid about germs and handwashing etc., i was at the doctors today for B12 jab and they have signs everywhere to use the antibacterial gel supplied before signing in on the computer screen and after signing in also after being in the consultation room. Also leaflets of how to protect yourself. Our immune sytems are/were not up to scratch initially or we would not have succumbed to PMR in the first place. The preds then compromise the immune system even more, so it is wise and makes good sense to protect ourselves and in turn we are protecting others in the process especially those with chronic illnesses, the aged and very young among us .....my best wishes to you porgi.....

I@ve got this now Claire so will use it when I'm out. Noticed when I went to our local hospital a couple of weeks ago that they don't have hand gell  dispensers to use as you go in and out of the different outpatient clinics nor do they have them as you go in and out of the main entrance door. Years ago when we lived in England they had them. So I'm shocked that they still don't have them here. When I lived in the North of England I was admitted to hospital and there was one at every bed with a notice to the patient saying 'If you see any staff not using this before they examine you please ask them to' which I thought was great.

Porgi, even our public libraries installed gel dispensers years ago.  As workers we used to complain when they bought the scented kind because we'd get headaches...

I’m surprised they don’t have the gel dispensers around your local hospital. Which country is that? I work in a hospital in England and they’re everywhere.

I can't touch the alcohol wipes I'm allergic to them and my skin peels. I will be getting some antiviral hand foam though. I'm nephrotic about touching my hands to my eyes. Luckily I wear glasses which help to stop me but what do you do about pets? We've a dog and I go round a fairly large garden gathering up her poo in the proper bags but I have a bag on each hand and once I've scooped with one bag carefully put it in the other before I tie it off even so after putting them in the rubbish bin I go in straightaway and was my hands. We go through a lot of bags. Also put a post on to Eileen asking what the different abbreviations for inflammation markers mean. Can you tell me as well please

The trouble is, antibacterial wipes/gel have no effect with viruses or Norovirus. The only protection you have with Norovirus is handwashing with soap and water. My mum caught Norovirus from the screen/magazines/safety card (well known to be contaminated with bugs) on a plane as she was handed her tray of food, couldn’t get out of her seat to wash her hands (people and food trolley in the way) and hoped the hand gel she had would give her a degree of protection. Sadly not, and it wasn’t long before she and several other people on the same flight were isolated on the cruise ship she’d boarded. She discovered that the same plane had transported passengers home from a Norovirus infected cruise ship. 

I have heard that unless the hand cleanser contains alcohol it is ineffective.  That's why I use alcohol wipes, the same ones that would be used to disinfect your skin if you were getting a needle or blood taken.  But how does some one like Porgi deal with this situation if alcohol cannot be used?

It’s difficult. Handwashing is the most effective protection, but not always practical when out and about. The non-alcohol antiviral foam is effective against both bacteria and viruses. 

Soap and water deal with most things - and much of the advertising hype on the gels is OTT. 

But how practical is it to carry a bucket of soapy water around with you, plus clean towels, when what you want to do is disinfect things like seat trays, light switches and tv remotes?  Of course washing our hands with soapy water is best, but then we recontaminate ourselves the moment we touch these other objects. 

I don't use gels.  I use disinfecting alcohol swabs.

What I'm trying to say is that alcohol is not 100% effective. You need both really.

Or we could just stay home and never go anywhere!

Claire: alcohol wipes DO kill viruses and bacteria- however C -diff (clostridium difficile) is one bacteria which is not killed by alcohol gels- soap and water is best. The other non alcohol chemical that works is zepherine - not sure of spelling.  These are used in hospitals.

It is one option.

I was thinking of products stating that they are antibacterial.