As with most other fields of biology in which I’ve had no formal training, I know just enough microbiology and epidemiology to be dangerous.
In this particular case, it’s my peace of mind that’s at risk. I’m going on holiday in 11 days, and spending far too much time thinking about the incubation period of the swine flu.
This may be a reaction to my last holiday being spoiled by a norovirus that swept through the household, hitting me at 11pm on Christmas Eve, or maybe just sheer desperation for a break of a magnitude I’ve not felt since the last year of my PhD; I’m really not usually so paranoid. I mean, I always wash my hands thoroughly, and I handle raw meat with the respect it deserves. But I usually wouldn’t be using hand sanitiser every hour or two, or thinking about missing a house party because the host said “sniffle sniffle, oink oink” on Facebook (turns out she just has a cold… probably), or considering trying to jump the queue for the just-approved vaccine (health care workers – which includes me, apparently – are set for shots in phase 2, which will come too late for my holiday).
I really don’t mind if I get sick NOW, because at least then I’ll be fine by the time we leave. I mean, I hate being sick as much as the next person, but I’d rather hit that window of opportunity than be actively sick and infectious on our departure date, and not be able to fly. But my days of thinking “if I get sick NOW I’ll be OK by then” are drawing to a close…
Does anyone know just enough behavioural psychology to be dangerous know how to get me to stop worrying?
I don’t have any particular expertise in microbiology or epidemiology; however, I think my own chronic germphobia is somewhat justified by the following:
1. Many people, who should know better, don’t wash their hands after using the restroom.
2. Many people, who should know better, have filthy toilet habits, the details of which do not bear elaborating upon here.
3. Many people, who should know better and stay home, cough, sneeze, and otherwise aerosolify or smear their infectious agents in my immediate vicinity on a daily, nay hourly, basis.
4. Our university and its associated hospital ran out of seasonal ‘flu’ vaccine doses today within a couple of hours, and it’s not clear when more will be available in this region.
My parents once suggested to me that I watch the TV program Monk, because they find it quite funny. I watched one episode, and refused to watch any more, because I’m about ten synapses away from being just like that. Many of his eccentric, OCD habits make perfect sense to me.
Oh sweet germaphobia! I think I’ve had every disease I’ve ever studied, including some weird stuff you need to go to certain places in Africa (where I’ve never been) to pick up. But I don’t know how to deal with it – except for moving on to the next disease…Good luck with the trip :)
Just save yourself the effort, and book a holiday in a rest home or hospital. That’ll guarantee you’re not ill, at least.
I just learned yesterday that one of my co-workers had H1N1, and came to work during that time. They didn’t know until after they had it, but I distinctly recall telling them to go home because they felt so sick…and them staying here anyway because “they had a lot of work to do”. Not cool.
This year, being a germaphobe (is that a word?) might be a good thing!
Kristi, I know all those things (ick!), but I usually manage to push them far enough back in my mind that they don’t really bother me.
Anna, I do that too – I can’t read about any disorder without thinking I might have it! Maybe I can move on to the next disease and start worrying about, um, actually I’ve had all the recommended shots for my destination!
Bob, but those are the most germ-ridden places on Earth!
Alyssa, I hate it when people do that. It’s so selfish. People at my work are generally OK (and I’m a wee bit isolated in my corner anyway – a good thing right now!), but my husband and his colleagues are paid hourly with no paid sick days, so they tend to go in sick. And everything my husband catches, I catch too!
Thanks all for your advice… I think I can afford to catch the flu at tonight’s U2 concert, but I need to be much more careful at the weekend Hallowe’en party! Maybe I should dress as a hazmat worker!
Cath> Just accept that you may get sick and move on ;)
HAHA, seriuosly though – I use rubbing alcohol and try not to hang around people who sneezes at work. Funny enough, I have ended up using more ethanol outside of lab than when I was working inside of it (which, knowing me, is an accomplishment). And as Kristi says “some people’s toilet habits…” * shudder * make it hard not to be a germaphobe.
That said though, I am still most scared of shrimp in food prepared by others. And strange bites from insects I haven’t seen chew on me.
For the halloween party – just get drunk and the ethanol inside will surely kill all germs that enter, right?! :)
I am still wondering why you all seem to know so much about other peoples toilet habits…
Other peoples’ toilet habits aside, I think that germophobia can be overdone. I am rather fond of the hygiene hypothesis – that early exposure to a variety of antigens allows a child who grows up rolling around in farmyards to grow up healthier (and prone to fewer allergies) than those brought up in relative asepsis. If they don’t die of something horrible first, of course.
I loved that song!
(From the brilliant Toothpaste for Dinner web comic)
In general, my immune system is pretty good, but when I do have a respiratory infection, it tends to be pretty severe and prolonged. My Achilles’ bronchi, if you will. I’m very germphobic about human respiratory pathogens and anything possibly related to food poisoning, but I’m not too bothered by non-human animal dirt and healthy outdoors woodsy/gardeny dirt.
I am still wondering why you all seem to know so much about other peoples toilet habits
Well, there’s plenty of evidence. I’m a scientist and I read lots of crime fiction. ;-)
Åsa, I accept that – I’m just trying to control when!
You are correct, ethanol kills germs – when applied externally, anyway. I need to collect more data on the efficacy of oral application.
Steffi, let’s just say that I’d rather we didn’t have unisex bathrooms at work, and leave it at that!
Henry, I like that hypothesis too – but it’s one thing to encourage kids to play in the soil and pick up worms and frogs like I used to, and another not to break out the hand sanitiser after hearing all the coughing and sneezing on the bus!
Stephen, I had it stuck in my head for a whole day last week for some reason. So I thought I’d use it.
Kristi, great cartoon! I’ll have to check out their website.
My sister and I both had whooping cough (pertussis) when we were very young, and we both still get terrible coughs after almost every cold we get. This trait isn’t shared by anyone else in our family, so we’re blaming that early exposure! (n=2, no controls).
I usually tend to agree with Henry up there but when I was getting my finger checked out not that long ago I couldn’t help but cringe at the triage nurse coughing and not covering her mouth. Talk about someone who should know better!
I agree with the “pick up germs and get a healthy immune system” thing in general, but not if you have a great vacation planned. Also, you get exposed to all those germs anyway. I recall our microbiology course as undergraduates when we used to be given agar plates and told to go out hunting. I heard later that this lab was discontinued after what it revealed about the students’ lunch room…
I got the flu on Saturday. In a strange way, I feel better that my paranoia about the coughing and sneezing on the bus (plus various apparently healthy colleagues with sick spouses and kids at home) wasn’t completely unfounded… and I should be fine by take-off time on Saturday night!
I had an H1N1 flu shot on Tuesday. My arm hurts. I have also since learned that a friend and neighbour had it during the summer, and I’ve almost-certainly been exposed enough that I didn’t need the shot anyway.
Ouch. Still, better than having the flu – sorry to hear you’re sick, Cath. Get well. I prescribe lots of bed rest and people bringing you things.
P.S. Nice Vapors reference. :)
People bringing me things would be nice. Hubby is at work from 6am – 6.30pm and falls asleep at 8.30 pm on average, even in the middle of hockey games on TV. I’m talking to my cats a LOT. (Hmm, maybe I shouldn’t admit to that).
I hope your arm feels better! I got the typhoid shot a couple of weeks ago, man did that hurt!
Cath – where are you going for your hols? Somewhere nice and warm, with plenty of dodgy water and slightly rotting meat? ;-) Egypt is lovely at this time of year.
My worst ever food-poisoning was caught in Ealing, West London, on my way to Germany via Heathrow. Two days of awfulness in a Frankfurt hotel room followed. When I felt better I wandered along a lovely street full of food stalls, and saw so many pink glistening wursts of various types. In my mind’s eye I saw pure pathogen and lost any appetite. It was a good 3 years before I could eat a sausage again.
Cuba. I’ve already packed my water purification tablets and had my shots (typhoid, hep A/B, polio, tetanus, diphtheria). But we’ve heard that the food is almost all fried, so as long as it’s fresh…
I got a nasty bout of food poisoning in Israel once, but by far the worst was caught here in Vancouver. Nowhere’s safe, so you may as well go somewhere sunny!
Cuba, eh? Very nice. I don’t remember having any bad tummies there. I had some delicious fried chicken, and quite a lot of beans and rice. I also ate fresh beetroot for the first time and liked it.
Heh – you’re the first person to say anything good about the food! We were resigned to 2 weeks of bland greasy bad food, to be made up for by the beaches, music, and mojitos.
Worst food poisoning I can recall – Chester, England. A hastily-cooked mackerel fillet was to blame, as far as I can tell. The ensuing night’s stay in a noisy, smelly pub in a hell-hole called Bollington was not a high point of the trip, let me tell you.