Wearing a surgical mask in public
A surgical mask might not help as much as you’d hope: Research shows that even though the masks can help block germs, most adults don’t actually follow through with wearing them in their own homes, even when their kid has been sick. One positive of the masks, according to another study, is that people who wear masks are more likely to wash their hands and avoid crowds, which can help keep you healthy.
Hovering over the seat to urinate
Women may think it’s safer to hover over a toilet seat than sit down for fear that bacteria on the seat may stick to your skin when you stand up. They will, but as we’ve already learned, that’s OK. The problem with this habit is that, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, hovering can make emptying your bladder more difficult. Do that too often, and you could end up with bladder problems.
So what can you do?
“The dirty secret about avoiding germs is that germs are everywhere,” says Alex Berezow, PhD, a microbiologist. “We have an immune system that kills off most of them.” Of course, coronavirus is a different matter altogether. As health experts have stressed, the best things you can do to counteract Covid-19 is stay at home as much as you can, practise social distancing, wash your hands often and avoid touching your face.
Make sure you aren’t making these hand-washing mistakes that leave germs behind.
