Kids' Doctor - Germs

    It's the sick season and everywhere you go and you have probably heard someone sneezing or coughing. But what about the germs that just seem to linger on surfaces?
    A new list has just been revealed of the top public places and items where cold and flu germs live as well as E. coli bacteria. I bet you encounter at least one on this list every day.    
    Let's start with restaurants, menus are seldom cleaned after being passed around from person to person. Viruses live on hard surfaces for up to 18 hours. It's a good idea to wash your hands after you have finished ordering.
    I like lemon in my iced tea, but according to the Journal of Environmental Health, nearly 70% of lemon wedges contain disease causing microbes. Some of the more common microorganisms found were E. coli and fecal bacteria.
    Condiment dispensers are shared by people day after day. Since we know that few people wash their hands before they eat in a restaurant, the container sitting on your table could be covered with germs from the previous customer. As for picking up a condiment with a napkin, napkins are porous and germs can pass right through them.
    These tips are not meant to scare you into becoming germophobic, but to raise awareness in order to keep your family healthy, especially during the winter months. And lastly, don't forget to wash your hands or use hand sanitizer!