Tag: germs

Hospital infections kill someone every six minutes

Post author By web gangsta
Post date November 6, 2012

The CDC claims that 1.7 million people become infected while at a hospital, but according to RID: The Committee to Reduce Infection Deaths, the actual number of infections at hospitals each year is much, much higher.

On average, a patient DIES AT A HOSPITAL due to a hospital-related infection every six minutes. RID says it’s at least 103,000 (preventable?) deaths a year, causing up to $30 billion in hospital costs.

It’s the fourth leading cause of death, with heart disease, cancer, and strokes taking the top three spots.

Tags Book, germs, health, hospitals, How To, medical, science, website

10 Things food Science shopping

10 Toxic products you should avoid

Post author By web gangsta
Post date September 19, 2012

Do you read product labels when you’re making household purchases? Web Watch does try to avoid buying food that contains high fructose corn syrup or has “sugar” listed on the label — but we’re a creature of habit, and Pop Tarts taste so darn good.

But we don’t really take the time to read all those other funky labels and warnings that seem to be applied to practically everything we get nowadays. Do we care that something was made in a plant that also processes “soy”, “nuts”, and “dairy products”? Eh. Not so much… but we know some folks who do care, so we’re not going to make fun of them for this.

Tags 10 Things, cosmetics, food, germs, health, medical, science, shopping, water

News Science

Study shows the “5-Second Rule” is healthy for kids

Post author By web gangsta
Post date July 25, 2012

Maybe our parents weren’t that dumb after all.

When Web Watch was younger, we recall that our parents did something a bit unusual with all their friends: when one of the children got sick, the parents would insist that all the kids would then have to get together and play until all the kids were sick at the same time.

This is, if our memory is correct about the situation, how all of the kids we knew ended up with the chicken pox at the exact same time.

From a parenting viewpoint, it was probably good planning; they got all their own kids through the fun of being all itchy and scratchy at the same time as all of the classmates did. It must have been like a chicken pox epidemic at that school.

Yes, Web Watch grew up in the age of “chickenpox parties”. We really don’t hear of those happening today, do we?

Tags germs, health, medical, parenting, science, survey

food Gadgets How To News Science shopping

Only 15% of Americans avoid food poisoning by doing just one thing

Post author By web gangsta
Post date April 17, 2012

Having food poisoning is not pretty, either for you or those around you.

Web Watch knows – the one time it hit us, we were trying to enjoy a group outing while on a trip away from home. You’d be surprised how quickly getting that ill, that quickly will identify who your real traveling companions are (hint: that number is close to zero during that time period — when it comes to food poisoning, you’re going to be mainly on your own).

So what can you do to avoid getting food poisoning?

Unfortunately, the majority of food poisoning occurs while you’re away from home, eating at restaurants with poor health scores or who happened to receive tainted food themselves.

In other words, when you’re eating out, there’s not much you can do if someone serves you bad food that really, really disagrees with you.

Tags 10 Things, e.coli, food, germs, health, How To, medical, News, shopping

10 Things How To Travel

How to avoid getting sick when travelling by plane

Post author By web gangsta
Post date December 21, 2011

Airborne

It’s the holiday travel season, and tons of Web Watch readers are going to find themselves flying on a crowded plane, more than likely sitting next to somebody who’s just getting over the flu.

It’s like the giant lottery of luck, who you get to sit next to on the plane. Everybody eyes the other people at the terminal, wondering who gets to be lucky enough to sit next to that young attractive man or woman while avoiding eye contact with that overweight, unwashed hairy dude wearing a torn muscle shirt.

Eww.

Tags airplane, germs, health, Travel

10 Things Science

What’s the most germ-covered surface in your every day life?

Post author By web gangsta
Post date November 30, 2011

Germs are not for Sharing

Howie Mandel may have something with his “fist bump” mentality. Touching other people can be freaky, especially if you don’t know where they (or their hands) have been.

Web Watch knows quite a few people who still refuse to wash their hands after using the restroom, sad but true. And we certainly hate being introduced to someone immediately after they obviously return from the restroom, as that initial slightly damp didn’t-quite-finish-drying-my-hands handshake is always a bit icky. We cringe now even thinking about it.

Tags 10 Things, bathroom, germs, medical, science, Travel

News Science

Doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals spread germs everywhere they go

Post author By web gangsta
Post date June 23, 2011
1 Comment on Doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals spread germs everywhere they go

Doctor Walking Through Hospital Closet with Blue Sheets and Scrubs
Doctor walking around in scrubs

You’ve seen them around town: walking through the park on their way to and from lunch, driving through the bank teller line, shopping at the grocery store, eating at restaurants after a shift, riding your elevator — doctors, dental hygenists, nurses, and other medical professionals all wearing their scrubs out in public.

Think about it.

Why do medical professionals wear scrubs? They’re easy to clean, and they don’t want to get their “real” clothes dirty.

So why do you see so many of these same medical staff wandering around in public in their scrub outfits? They certainly aren’t going to wear these non-sterilized clothes anywhere that would possible infect you in their day-to-day care of your illness or dental exams.

Or are they?

Tags doctors, e.coli, germs, hospitals, medical, News, survey

Gadgets shopping Travel

How to Travel Germ-Free: The Sleep Sack

Post author By web gangsta
Post date April 21, 2009

As we’ve all seen the local news stories during sweeps week, or on practically any episode of CSI – some hotel rooms can be filled with nasty germs and bugs.

That’s where THE SLEEP SACK comes in.

You always see a few people in the airport, carrying their own pillows with them. For them, either the hotel pillows are never good enough, or perhaps there’s a hypo-allergenic reason to bring one’s own pillow with them.

And while travellers often fear the pillow bug, for the most part, one never thinks much about the hotel room’s bed linens. Sure, the coverlet may be a little nasty, but you’re not supposed to use that as a blanket anyway. Just throw the coverlet on the floor like everyone else does. The sheets should be clean, right?

Right?

Tags bed bugs, gadget, germs, How To, shopping, Travel