Surprising Places Where Germs Can Live

Medicine in the Mountains
By William Betz, D.O., M.B.A., FACOFP

PIKEVILLE, Ky. - While people are often conscientious about picking up germs after taking public transportation or using a computer keyboard, those aren’t the only spots where germs can linger. As it turns out, germs are everywhere. They are even on our bodies when we’re not sick.

“The difference is whether or not those germs will make us ill. And that all depends on the type of germs you are exposed to and your immune system’s ability to fight them off,” explains William Betz D.O., M.B.A., FACOFP, senior associate dean for osteopathic medical education at the Pikeville College School of Osteopathic Medicine. From checkout counters to makeup bags, Betz discusses the surprising places where germs can live and ways you can minimize your chances of becoming ill through contact with germs.

Checkout Counter: At many checkout counters, there is a ledge for shoppers to write out a check and a key pad for people to swipe their debit or credit card and type in their PIN number. These are two areas where shoppers stand— and perhaps cough or sneeze— while waiting to be checked out. Betz stresses that the best way you can protect yourself from germs is to avoid sneezing or coughing into your hands. Instead, you should sneeze into your sleeve or another body part that won’t be touching any common area. In addition, you should use your own pen to write checks or sign receipts as a way to minimize your exposure to germs in the checkout line.

Reusable Shopping Bags: Meat packages sometimes leak, leaving blood droplets from beef or chicken in the bottom of a bag. When it comes to whether or not a reusable shopping bag has germs, Betz notes that it really depends on how often a person uses the bag. If the bag is completely dry and the person only goes to the store once a week or every other week, the bag is probably fine. Odds are whatever germs ended up in the bag from the last visit will have dried up before the next trip to the store. However, if the person goes to the store every day, then there might be more of a concern about germs in the bag. As a way to get rid of any lingering germs in those reusable bags, Betz recommends shoppers periodically put reusable bags in the washing machine.

Kitchen: In a kitchen, you can easily be exposed to germs, such as common types of food bacteria, like salmonella, because of the amount of contact that occurs between people, food, and the surfaces on which they eat. Places to watch out for germs are the cutlery drawer, towels, counters, sponges, and your hands. You can best avoid contamination by making sure the cutlery drawer is always closed when preparing food nearby, using a fresh towel or paper towel when wiping down counters and drying hands, and replacing sponges regularly.

Makeup Bags: Most women know to throw out their mascara after three to six months to avoid transferring bacteria to the eye, but it is also important to wash the actual bag itself. Women should also wash brushes and replace makeup sponges after being sick to avoid spreading germs.

Work Vehicles/Tools: Some workplaces, such as a police department or mail delivery service, require employees to share vehicles. Betz advises such employees to be sure to wipe down the steering wheel or other commonly touched things in the vehicle before and after their shift.

“It’s hard to draw the line between being conscientious about spreading germs and becoming obsessed with avoiding exposure to germs,” says Betz. “The best thing to do is just accept that there are germs all around and broach it with a common sense attitude.”

Preventive medicine is just one aspect of care osteopathic physicians (D.O.s) provide. D.O.s are fully-licensed to prescribe medicine and practice in all specialty areas including surgery. D.O.s are trained to consider the health of the whole person and use their hands to help diagnose and treat their patients.

William Betz D.O., M.B.A., FACOFP, is the senior associate dean for osteopathic medical education at the Pikeville College School of Osteopathic Medicine.