Dear So and So

[Catrin]

I am glad I posted about this, it has been interesting to read different perspectives. I am probably less careful than I should be, trusting in my over-active immune system probably a bit too much.

[Crankin]

Eh, if I told you how careless I've been about this in the past, you might faint. I do wash my hands more, now, and maybe that helps. I stopped carrying anti-bacterial stuff in my purse and I no longer use anti-bacterial soap at home. Just regular soap and water for me. I mean, I don't dig into the garbage aand smear it on me, but I also don't wear rubber gloves to take out the trash, as one of my friends does.

[emily_in_nc]

I don't use anti-bacterial soap either...it's not good for a variety of reasons and is making bad bacteria more resistant. The hand sanitizer I use is just alcohol based. I avoid touching my eyes or face unless I've just washed my hands, and I do wash fairly frequently but not OCDishly. I think I became more of a germaphobe after DH and I both got a horrific case of norovirus in the southwest in 2006 -- we're pretty sure we got it at a big buffet restaurant near Bryce Canyon.

After returning home to NC, we read that the CDC was reporting this big noro outbreak in the "Grand Circle" area of the southwest -- we were in good company, I guess.

I also have an active immune system, having had allergies and asthma all my life, so perhaps even without my diligent efforts, I wouldn't get many colds (like you, Catrin).

I did get a lot of colds in the 18 months we spent in Belize -- so did DH. I attribute that to tourists from all over the world bringing down germs we had no immunity to. And when we'd shop all over town, most of the little shops had doorknobs and such, and I'd sweat so much I'd be swabbing my face with a bandanna, which no doubt got germy from my doorknob hands. I had at least 3-4 colds in the time we were there, which is unheard of for me. Since we've been back (March 2013), I haven't had a single cold.

[Crankin]

My son and DIL had the norovirus a couple of years ago. It was going around Boston/Cambridge/Somerville like crazy. They are beyond the college aged demographic that mostly gets it here, in these outbreaks, but they do go out to eat a lot and DIL is the general manager of a restaurant. She was really sick and had to go to the ER. They are the only people I know who have had this.
I guess my allergies and asthma have kept the colds away? Those have been much better, too, since moving to MA. Phoenix is just full of dust and mold spores, the 2 things I am allergic to, not mention millions of people with the genetics for asthma, because someone back in the 40s or 50s told their parents or grandparents to move there! My son was on a nebulizer every 4 hours there, and I was pretty close to that.
About 10 years ago my pcp got all freaked out because she saw "something" on a CT scan of my lungs. I went to a pulmonologist who laughed and said "Cocci? When did you live in AZ?" I guess I had Vally Fever and never knew it, although I had been tested for it many times. I was really sick a few times, with what I thought was bronchitis, so I guess it was Vally Fever.

[emily_in_nc]

Phoenix is just full of dust and mold spores, the 2 things I am allergic to, not mention millions of people with the genetics for asthma, because someone back in the 40s or 50s told their parents or grandparents to move there!

You are so right. When I was diagnosed with asthma in early childhood (born in '61) I still remember my mom telling me the doc recommended we move to Arizona!

Valley Fever scares me -- we love Arizona, but that does scare me. Interesting that you may have had it without even knowing it. Strange!

Oh, happened to see this today -- looks like avoiding touching those elevator buttons is a pretty good idea:

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/hos...tudy-says.html

Even though this study was done in hospitals, I am guessing hotels would be similar.

[Crankin]

Emily, I've heard that most people who live in the Valley have had it, and unless you get really sick, you never know. Not sure if this holds true for Tucson, but I would think so.

[Owlie]

If you're otherwise healthy (not immunocompromised or anything), it's often totally asymptomatic, or it has symptoms similar to the flu and resolves on its own.