Ask Rene’
Dear Rene’
I was at a dance recently and had a very nice dance with a lovely woman. Later on I notice that she sneezed into her hand. She then got up to dance with another fellow. It caused me to wonder what’s the best way to prevent catching the flu or a cold when out dancing with lots of partners?
Dear Bed Bound,
It sounds like it’s too late for you, but there is help for the rest of us. Fortunately the flu season has almost run its course, but save this letter for next fall. Of course the common cold is always with us. Well the general answer is to make sure you have a healthy immune system by maintaining a physical and mental sense of well-being. You have to eat right, set up a regular exercise program, and get adequate sleep.
For the rest of us, proper hand washing is the key. Amazingly, about 90% of those germs are passed on by hand contact – you dance or shake a hand, then touch your nose, mouth or rub your eye.
Proper hand washing means (1) warm water, (2) soap, and (3) scrubbing the hands (both back and front) for at least 15 seconds – about the amount of time needed to sing the “Happy Birthday” song. It is the soap combined with the scrubbing action that helps dislodge and remove germs. Then rinse and dry your hands – avoid those guest towels that several people may have used, of course.
You can also use an antibacterial hand sanitizer (e.g. Purell or a store brand) in a pinch, but they are NOT a substitute for good hand washing. Use the sanitizer between dances 4 – 6 times, and then go wash those hands.
The other thing you should know is the incubation for the flu and most colds is one to four days. So your dance partner could be contagious, but not have symptoms – not realize they are sick. In addition to colds and the flu, some serious diseases – such as hepatitis A, meningitis, and infectious diarrhea can easily be prevented if you make a habit of washing your hands.
In Sympathy, Rene’
