Lifestyle

10 interesting facts about germs

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Germs are microscopic organisms that cause disease. When we talk of germs, we are referring to fungi, bacteria, viruses and protozoa.


Some germs are spread through the air when a person coughs or sneezes, it is also spread by physical contact when we touch surfaces contemplated or hug or kiss an infected person.

Covid-19 brought the world’s attention to the world of germs as we looked for ways to prevent its spread.

These are some interesting germ facts.

  1. Your office desk has more bacteria than the toilet, 400 times more.
  2. When you flush the toilet, bacteria rise to six feet. That is why it is not a good idea to leave your toothbrush in the toilet.
  3. There are more germs on your phone than on a toilet seat. So, always clean your phone with disinfectant wipes.
  4. Most people do not wash their hands with soap and water. They use just water.
  5. Purses and handbags have about 10,000 bacteria in each square inch, and most of the bacteria are made of faeces.
  6. More bacteria are transferred through handshakes than kissing.
  7. Most people wash their hands but do not dry them. Germs are spread 1000 times more when hands are damp than dry.
  8. Wearing headphones increases the number of bacteria in your ears by 700 in just an hour.
  9. Walter Reed was the first person to identify the first virus in 1901.
  10. The Spanish flu struck in 1918 and it killed over 21 million people. It was the deadliest pandemic in history.

Since we know our hands are the primary ways germs are spread, here is what we need to do to clean them properly.

  1. Get your hands wet before you apply soap.
  2. Rub your hands until it lathers,
  3. Clean all the parts of your hands, including your fingernails, in between your finger and the back of your hands.
  4. Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds or the amount of time it takes you to sing happy birthday twice.
  5. Dry with a clean towel or tissue.

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