Something Resembling Red Tape

Evidently there is a flu outbreak in the Twin Cities.  Or as people said to me this past week "It's not flu, it's influenza."

First off, it's the same thing.  For those that think there's a difference...well, they're just so stupid that I don't know what to say.  I just try not to roll my eyes right at them.

Second of all, it's winter.  There's a flu outbreak EVERY winter.  It's because people are trapped inside with recirculated air.  People travel to see others that they don't usually see- it all is a germ smorgasbord.

Ok, but let's say that, "oh my god, there's a communicable virus on the loose!"  What should you DO!?

Obviously, avoid sick people.  But should you not be able to do that, wash your hands after you touch anything and before you touch your face or your belongings.  This REALLY cuts down on the spread of viruses.

But, wait, what about hand sanitizer?

It's a nice attempt at keeping your hands clean.  It's what you should use if you don't have soap and water handy.  You actually wash away 50% of the germs on your hands, just by rubbing them in the water; soap gets you the other 49% (well, up to).  It's quite sad that doctors are now only using hand sanitizer because it doesn't stop everything.  Hand sanitizers are usually alcohol-based, which means that you're just rubbing your hands with expensively perfumed isopropyl- that's the cheap rubbing alcohol.  Soap and water wash away everything; hand sanitizers only work on LIVING bugs...you're still at risk for viruses.

So, you can either go with the expensively perfumed rubbing alcohol or the free soap and water in the bathroom.

Kleenex- make sure you have some at work.  Don't just wipe your nose on your hand like a 5 year old.  Oh, you think I'm kidding!?  Sadly, no.  Working in the IT world is like working with a bunch of kindergardeners with expensive toys.

And glasses- I honestly have always thought that people that wear glasses get less germs.  I don't know that there has been a study on this, but it seems that providing a physical barrier between your eyes and the germs at large is a good idea.  Accordingly, those of you who wear contacts...well, it seems like you're just rolling out the welcome mat.  You see, the eyes are the only facial opening that doesn't have some sort of tonsil (aka lymph node) to help protect the body from invaders.  The nose and mouth have tonsils; the ears have the the tympanic membrane (aka ear drum)- the eyes alone are unprotected.

But, I digress.  I was tell you about the marvelous protective procedures from the Children's hospital.  So, they have this policy about visitors to the hospital.  You have to go to the front desk and they "screen" you.  When I saw this written, I thought it was going to be a doctor sitting down there with a stethoscope and blood pressure cuff.

But, no.

It's the part-time volunteer at the front desk asking if you have a cough, a fever, or just don't feel well.

Some screening.

Then, if you answer No to these questions (regardless of how you actually ARE feeling), you get a little name sticker with your picture on it and the date.  You get a green sticker if you say you're healthy, a yellow sticker if you say you feel a little ill, and a red sticker if you say you're sick.

Mind you, this is all self-reporting.

Well, if you're there multiple days in a row, you're supposed to go down and get a new sticker. But they can't tell until they get close enough to you to read the date because there aren't any other visual indicators that the badge is old.

They don't have a different layout each day (like picture on the left/picture on the right)

They don't have a different print color.

They don't even have the day of the week.

And then there's the picture.  With my hair back in a pony tail, the picture I took could be anyone- male or female, of any age BECAUSE IT'S SO WASHED OUT, YOU CAN BARELY MAKE OUT THE FACE!

It just seems like it's more public brainwashing like the TSA security measures that have no real security in them AT ALL.  They do not protect you from dangerous things on airplanes- they're just as worth while as this sorry excuse for germ security.

So, I guess my message is this:  don't be fooled by other people's germ security or a little sticker saying they're well.  Take care of yourself this season.  It's all up to you.