The right way to use a public bathroom (to avoid getting sick)



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If you're still overwhelmed, consider cleaning the toilet seat with an alcohol-soaked rag before you sit down, suggested Dr. David Jay Weber, an epidemiologist and physician at the Gillings School of Global Health Public Health. University of North Carolina. Chapel Hill. You can also cover the seat with toilet paper, but try not to touch the seat at the same time. Do not forget that the paper on which you are aligning the seat may also contain sprouts because the last time the toilet was emptied, probably aerosolized germs from the toilet in the air, which eventually became deposited on the paper you use.

What about squatting? Research suggests that most women prefer to sit on a toilet seat to avoid exposure to germs and urine. But some doctors fear that this position will make it difficult to relax the pelvic floor completely, which could pose risks. Some research suggests, for example, that crouching women take longer to urinate and do not release all their urine, which could increase the risk of urinary tract infections. But in healthy individuals, these risks are probably minimal, said Dr. Doreen Chung, urologist at the New York-Presbyterian Medical Center / Columbia University in Irving. And it's much better to squat than to completely avoid the toilet, she said. "There are patients who hold their urine and are unable to relax their pelvic floor muscles to urinate," she said. But if you're squatting, be nice and clean yourself if you need it. (Ladies, you know what I'm talking about.)

Most public toilets do not have a lid, but if yours is, close it before rinsing to minimize the number of germs released into the air. Whatever happens, leave the stand as soon as possible after rinsing, said Dr. Weber.

It is very important to wash your hands after using a public bathroom. They will inevitably germinate because of what you have touched. A 2011 study, for example, found faecal bacteria on bathroom handles and skin-related bacteria, including staphylococci and streptococci, on bathroom doors, stalls, taps and soap dispensers. Still, many people do not wash their hands or do not do it properly. "Some areas are missing, like the back of the fingers," said Dr. Matthew Zahn, chair of the public health committee of the American Society of Infectious Disease Control. Dr. Weber suggested washing for at least 15 seconds with water at a comfortable temperature, so that you are not inclined to rush.

Think twice before using your freshly washed hands to turn off the faucet. "It's probably the dirtiest place in the bathroom," said Dr. Judy Stone, an infectious disease specialist in Maryland. After all, everyone opens the faucet with dirty hands. Instead, consider drying your hands with a paper towel, then use this towel to turn off the faucet. (If it's an automatic faucet, congratulations: you just won the lottery .If there is no paper towel, use toilet paper or alcohol-soaked rag, if you have one.)

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