People with colds, caused by about 100 different Rhinoviruses, and influenza, caused by many different mutants of Orthomyxovirus, spray their viruses into the air when they cough and sneeze. Others become infected by breathing in this aerosol of violently expelled virus-laden mucous. And if you mess about intimately with someone who has a cold or flu -- the virus can be transferred directly. An infectious unit is about 30 viruses for a cold about 10 for influenza. Washing the hands won't help. And it won't help for secondary infections either because the bacteria that cause these are (almost always) there already. Forget the washing and just keep very far away from other people; I recommend more than twenty metres upwind. However, intestinal viruses are another matter entirely. Much washing, and scrubbing, and scouring, and washing, and dipping of the hands into Vanadine is recommended.
Don _______________ Dr E D F Williams http://personal.inet.fi/cool/don.williams Author's Web Site and Photo Gallery Updated: July 31, 2003 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Steve Desjardins" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, September 20, 2003 4:40 PM Subject: Re: OT-Hats and Good Health-was:An outing with an MX. > The viruses that cause colds like it colder than we do. That's why they > flourish in the winter. Wearing a hat makes it easier to keep you > sinuses warm since your head gets warmer and the blood is carrying more > heat away from the brain. Frequent hand washing is the best defense, > but it's true that the whole anti-bacterial soap thing is overrated > since viruses are usually the culprit. (It does help prevent secondary > bacterial infections like the kind that cause sinus infections.) > Viruses do succumb, however, to the power of soap and wash to wash them > down the drain. ;-) This also assumes that you don't have any habits > like nail biting that facilities the introduction of viruses to the > mouth/throat, etc. > > At least these are the latest theories that I have read (sniffle). >
