An article regarding Aussies disgusting failure to wash their hands after using the toilet and before handling foodstuffs.
Hard to believe but I see it all the time when I need to use the restroom at shopping centres or food venues.
As an aside, it does remind me of the old joke regarding a uni student and an agricultural student who were using the urinals, and the ag student started to walk off without washing his hands, to which the uni student expressed his disgust aloud.
The ag student responded, “At ag college, they teach us not to pee on our hands”.
A very misleading demonstration for many reasons including that dry bread is a selective growth medium. The spores that generated the visible fungal growth would be ubiquitous and probably not very harmful. A great example of supporting the right conclusion with the wrong evidence.
It puts me in mind of a demonstration in junior high school. It was a series of pages of slotted cardboard with string pulled through the slots. One could show that you could look through all the slots to the other side but only when they lined up. This was proven by pulling the strings tight. This demonstrated that light travels in straight lines.
The “Clean” obsession at it’s worst. It is now being proven we need “germs” to help us function properly. I am not saying we shouldn’t wash our hands after toiletting or before eating but this constant wipe everything with disinfectants, alcohol etc can and does have negative impacts on our immunity and health.
Then as pointed out by @syncretic we have a natural selection of flora, fungi and fauna on our bodies anyway so growing something from our contact should happen, if it doesn’t then there is a problem.
I believe that the demonstration was to show the kids just how contamination spreads using a method they could actually see so they could understand the importance of hygiene.
Better than finding out the hard way with things such as the flu, diarrhea, cholera, hepatitis A, etc, etc.
Sure the lesson ought to be taught. But why couldn’t it be done is much more reliable manner, a demonstration that didn’t rely on coincidence and confusion to teach the lesson?
The conclusion that one ought to wash hands doesn’t follow firstly as the main reason is to not to give ourselves and each other gut bugs - not what was growing on the bread. Secondly, the worst example was the device but we don’t say wash your device after use or to wash your hands after handling a device. So the outcome that was demonstrated has very little to do with the lesson.
If we are going to get people to accept that science gives the best understanding of the world about us then we ought to do good science in the classroom.
It was the heading that first put me off it…" Revolting results of kids’ germ test experiment will make you wash your hands". Sure you should wash your hands but over-cleanliness also brings about problems. Then “This is so DISGUSTING” we are becoming obsessed about being “clean” when clean is different to sterile.
Good article. Soap and water, (and a nailbrush if theres stuff under your fingernails) will do the trick every time. All these antibacterials arent going to help. We (nurses) used them when working in the community and moving from one location to another, and I have a couple of small bottles of Aquium left over from those days… but I only use them in extreme circumstances.
An article regarding hopes that Aussies will continue to wash their hands after the coronavirus pandemic and not simply revert to their previous disgusting behaviours.
You are right. Obsession of cleanliness is bad, so is overuse of anything. It’s okay to use disinfectants if there is no water available to wash your hands or there is the necessity for extra caution.
Washing your hands correctly with soap and water for about 1/2 to 1 minute under flowing water is sufficient most of the time. The “badies” (germs etc.) are mainly congregating under the fingernails. The longer the fingernails the more bacteria you collect.
Biggest problem is that too many people forget using their common sense to keep a good balance in all aspects of their life and their inner world as well as their outer world. This is also in regards of family, work, leisure time, eating, drinking and exercising (as in moving, get off the couch, get away from computer and/or TV [do some walking, swimming, cycling, playing with the kids, not necessarily gym, boot camp etc.]).
There are times where we have to take extra care, follow rules and regulation.
