Look out maybe a norovirus is lakeside....

http://www.cdc.gov/features/norovirus/


I thought I got bad food last week and got very sick indeed. Well after a little bit of research from my friends I think someone brought down a Norovirus like what you read about in cruise ships. Also called in California " the Vomiting disease". So wash your hands and keep your hands off your face. I was very sick with both ends loose and the projectile vomiting gets old quick. I lost 11 pounds in one day til I could hold down water after 24 hours. I was close to massive dehydration. Now I know four people who had or have this. Folks I am a pretty tough cookie health wise and this one beat me completely. Read the CDC info I supplied above. Now go wash your hands and clean all the door knobs and fridge handles in your house.

You want to avoid this!!!!

Z

Norovirus is here, always has been. Probably someone in your crowd that you have contact with gave it to you. Merry Christmas. The prodromal period, that time when you are contagious, is BEFORE you become symptomatic and obvious. The incubation period is about a day and a half.

Good advice, wash wash wash. Also, stay away from the snowbirds for awhile and don't let 'em mack on you - they bring NOB viruses down with them and/or get them on the airplane. Norovirus is most unpleasant and highly contagious.

Glad you're better.

I put a mixture of alcohol and water (50-50) in a spray bottle and frequently wash my hands with it. I believe the much more expensive sanitizing gel has alcohol as the active ingredient.

Tiobob

I was in the janitorial supply business for 26 years. I know a lot on this subject.

First of all, alcohols are solvents. They break down grease.
Rubbing alcohol is Isopropyl Alcohol (wood alcohol) and very strong. Isopropyl + animal fat (your hands) = DRY SKIN. Not good in a low humidity enviroment.

Most sanitizing gels contain ethyl alcohol (beer, wine, tequila, 10% of your gasoline). They also contain emollients to counteract the drying of the skin by the alcohol.

I'm not saying that what your doing doesn't work, I'm just suggesting you stick with the gels for your hands. The spray bottle for sanitizing is fine. So are alcohol wipes.

RoyD

I've noticed that otherwise clean environments around here never, ever seem to clean the railings used by the public: they're actually sticky with grime. That being the case, WASH, WASH, WASH your paws frequently.

One enters and uses a public restroom, etc. There is water, soap and towels, so hands are washed. All is well, but there is no sanitary way to escape: The doorknob is filthy, as are the railings, buses, taxis and other things on the way home. You are doomed!

RVGRINGO wrote:One enters and uses a public restroom, etc. There is water, soap and towels, so hands are washed. All is well, but there is no sanitary way to escape: The doorknob is filthy, as are the railings, buses, taxis and other things on the way home. You are doomed!

Little cloth mittens might seem silly.........but that could work.

Hate to say this but am starting to see a few questions about some of the small amounts of whatever that are in commercial/home gels. Do get the point about drying out ones skin not good. I think Tiobob has the right idea but we need to add something to limit the drying out as RoyD says. Any ideas cause I want to give up commercially made hand sanitizer.

Do want to repeat I am a pretty tough guy when it comes to avoiding illnesses this one made a baby out of me. Avoid at all costs. You won't like life for 24 hours if you have a normal immune system. I don't want to think about someone with a compromised system. Do want to repeat also I probably blamed food poisoning as we do tend to run to that judgement. It wasn't.

Z

This brings up hand washing. Any bathroom, public or private, is the most unsanitary part of a building. You have more control at home but literally none in a public facility. Frequent washing of hands, as suggested by gringal, is the most effective way to avoid picking up something. The problem is drying your hands and how to exit the facility.

The most sanitary way to dry your hands after washing is paper towels. You use the last towel to open the door as you exit and chunk it. No paper towels? Keep tissues in your pocket and use one to open the door. I can imagine everyone looking like Howard Hughes with his obsession of not touching anything, but really, if some illness is going around town you want to do anything within reason to not catch it.

Air Dryers are NOT sanitary. They are full of dust and bacteria which is blown onto your clean hands to dry them, thus defeating the purpose of washing them in the first place.

To zedinmexico, frequent washings do dry out the hands and I like Aveeno moisturizing lotion. It's the best I have used, although I haven't used everything. On the cheap, Vaseline or mineral before bed time and put on those soft gloves over your hands.

RoyD

soft gloves over your hands at bedtime ??

hickton wrote:soft gloves over your hands at bedtime ??

No serious comment about that (tempted, though) but there are some unexpectedly good treatments for very dry skin:
"Bag Balm" at the store across from Laguna Mall is one.  I guess if you're a cow, times can be tough for udder reasons.

City folks are udderly ignorant of such remedies and can offer no tit for tat.

You want something like a cheap, cotton glove to let your skin breath. They're available here at the Dollar Tree so, whatever the equivalent store is lakeside. Use them a week then throw away or wash in hot water and detergent and reuse. The point is you don't want to get the Vaseline on your bed covers. messy.

Bag Balm is very good too and very sticky. Nice to know that you have it down there. Lanolin in the tube is pretty much the same thing.

Oh, I am a big time punster, so don't get me started. It would be udder confusion.

you have to hand it to roy.he knows !

There's a line of products out of Quebec called Caprina, www.caprina.ca, which has goat's milk as its man ingredient (along with the usual panoply of chemicals.) I use it all the time and am bringing a bunch down with me when I come.

RoyD wrote: Use them a week then throw away

At my age, they should last a month...or two.

Canada_Mike wrote:There's a line of products out of Quebec called Caprina, www.caprina.ca, which has goat's milk as its man ingredient (along with the usual panoply of chemicals.) I use it all the time and am bringing a bunch down with me when I come.

I never trust anything that comes out of Quebec.
Makes you want to separate from yourself.

But, Zen, they have the very best food in the country!