The Invisible Enemy

Eversince the swine flu scare, there has been an all out effort to raise public awareness on how infection spreads. This is not new info, it is the same as it ever was for all the viruses lurking out there. The problem is, I used to be a lot more laid back about the whole business but now I am far more mindful.

I have always known and have been taught by my folks since I was a wee little thing to cover my mouth and nose when sneezing and coughing and wash hands in soap and water. But the bit that is turning me into a cranky obsessive is this: if good old soap and water is not available then use one of the anti virul/bacterial gels that can be purchased as pocket sized for just in case. Now, wherever I am and whatever the situation, I have the power to combat germs.

The real problem is putting all of this info into perspective. My poor old hubby and son keep picking up cough and colds, they're onto their second bout this winter, and so far I haven't had anything. Now for me this is a bit unusual. Infact I would go so far to say as this is positively weird since it used to be me getting the flu bugs whereas the other two would resist. So there has been a bit of a twist of fate to my story.

And the big question is: has this been because I have been hand cleaning and my two men are less scrupulous? Well their hygiene habits have probably remained unchanged and yet they have had more infections than me recently but still I am not convinced.

My son takes public transport now and that is one difference to his life. Public transport is rife with germs. Another point is that my husband was seriously ill with a bacterial septicaemia a couple of years ago, and that has probably given his immune system a bit of a kicking and so he may be more vulnerable.

As for me, it would seem that the hand cleaning has worked but I have now swapped the occasional flu and cold virus for what could become an obsessive tendency which is quite literally following me around my home, especially with the other two coughing and sneezing wherever they go and me in their wake with the special spray. And it is wearing me out! Should I revert to my old laissez faire attitude for an easier life and risk the odd germ or would that be giving in? And if I do get a cold or flu, with all the hand washing, what would have been the point to all this obsessing about preventing it in the first place? Who can possibly tell one way or another? Just keep your hands away from your face maybe and then dirty hands won't matter - will they? Unless of course my dirty hands pass the bugs onto some other poor misfortunate, and then is that my fault or would it be there's? See what I mean?