I thought I would combine the last 2 since I think I am grossing you all out. But if you read each one, you will notice that I give you suggestions on how to control and keep yourself protected. But here we go on #9 - airplanes. Airplanes are closed off places where a lot of people are crammed into a small space where more than 20% at any one time is sick. If you took a swipe of any surface in the airplace, you will find lots of bacteria abound. Swiping just the tray tables, they found coliform bacteria (bacteria from our intestinal tract), Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, and other disease-causing organisms. The bathrooms on planes were similiar to public restrooms as was the ice machines, etc. Flights turn around quickly, so the flight crew only has time to pick up the trash. They don't disinfect. In fact, when asked, no airline could produce a disinfection cleaning record. What to do: The old handwashing again (do it and do it often). I carry Lysol wipes and wipe down my tray table and seat arm. Avoid touching your eyes or nose as these are the main entry points for diseases. Avoid using the airline toilet unless absolutely necessary. If your seat mate is coughing or sneezing ask to change seats. If not, then turn the other way and keep wiping your hands. Bring your own magazines. Stay hydrated because you are more suspectible to respiratory organisms when your mucous membranes are dry. Drink plenty of water and if the cabin is very dry, drink hot water and use the steam to moisten your nasal passages or use a saline nasal spray (make sure it's the proper size for travel).
#10 is our lovely schools. I don't know about all of you but when my kids first started in school it seemed we were all sick all the time. That first year was murder. You name it we caught it. Daughter would come home with something then give it to me then I would give it to hubs who in turn gave it to his office employees and the cycle would begin again. Any gathering of children is a place of questionable hygiene. I know I talked about restrooms before but there is nothing like a school restroom. I am reminded of an email joke that circulated for a while: The janitor was tired of cleaning the mirrors in the girl's bathroom where they had kissed the mirror with lipstick. So he posted a message telling the girls how much effort he had to do to clean the mirrors in order to get their lipstick off. He explained the only thing he could find to get the mirror clean was to dip his mope into the toilet and then clean the mirror with it. He never encountered lipstick marks on the mirror again.
In reality, parents rarely have the opportunity to randomly visit school restrooms, but you should. Be prepared for a shock. They are filthy. There are no doors on the stalls even in the girls bathroom. There was no soap. No paper towels, and newspaper quality toilet paper. Definitely no seat covers. That was the girl's bathroom. Now the boys is even worse. Little boys use the stall so no one will see their weenies. Making sure that no one is behind them or sudden open the door, their aim is very poor, hitting mostly the unlifted seat. For the rest of the day, there is not one boy who will sit on it. Many would rather have poop build up to their eyeballs than sit on a sticky seat. Toilet paper if found is usually strewn all over the floor.
Which brings us to a problem seen in doctor's offices everywhere: children with urinary tract infections and constipation. The medical field are finding that this is caused by the school's strict policies on bathroom times as they are too disruptive in the classroom. Recess and lunch are the only free times to go to the restroom but recess is the most important part of their day and they would rather hold it than give up recess. The first time my daughter came home from 1st grade crying that her tummy hurt because the teacher wouldn't let her go to the bathroom was the 1st and last time I ever had to complain to that principal. I produced study after study, printed them off, and carefully placed them on his desk. I then said I would go to the school district meetings and take this all the way to the newspapers unless something was changed. A 1st grader should not have to soil her pants because of some stupid policy. I didn't encounter that again until she entered junior high and got her period. Then again after having to go pick her up and bring her home to change clothes and wash, I got that school's policy changed. I must have created a stir because by the time she got to high school, we had no problems and the policy had already been changed.
There is not much you can do for keeping your child safe unless you are involved in the school. I was a lunch mom, room mother, reading helper, math helper, etc. I deliberately never used the teacher's bathrooms (which by the way were immaculate with nice smells, lotions, basically what my daughter terms a "Pretty Woman" bathroom. I used the kids bathrooms and went to the principal each and every time they were a mess. We got to be very good friends. Basically one has to be an advocate for their child.
Gosh now I have to come up with a different thing to post. These were fun for me.
