The viruses that cause the common cold and the flu are spread in several ways, the most obvious being human contact. So obviously one of the easiest ways to keep from getting sick is to avoid being in contact with anyone who is sick. Even if you encounter someone in a store who is sneezing or coughing, you’d do well to turn around and walk down a different aisle just to avoid breathing in germs that person might be coughing into the air. And no matter how much you love someone and want to tend to them when they’re sick, don’t kiss them to make them feel better!

But human contact is not the only way you can catch a cold or the flu. In fact, an easier and more prevalent way to pick up germs has nothing to do with being near someone who is coughing or sneezing. Cold and flu viruses can live for hours on the fingers of sick people, but they can live for days on any other surface those fingers might have touched.

For example, in the office there are hundreds of places germs can take up residence-door handles, computer keyboards, telephones, file cabinets, and any other surface shared by more than one person. Luckily there is a simple and quick way to prevent those germs from accumulating. A study released recently by UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, showed that using disinfectant wipes can help.

“All you need to do is apply the disinfectant wipe across the keys for approximately 5 seconds,” said Dr. William Rutala, director of UNC Hospitals’ epidemiology department. Rutala’s study found that wiping keyboard keys with a disinfectant wipe for just 5 seconds was 95-100% effective in getting rid of germs. Read the rest of this entry »