Hand Sanitizer

It's been nine years since a high school intern at the University of Illinois dared question pop-culture convention and test the so-called "five-second rule" - the one that says if food or utensils have been on the floor or ground for five seconds or less, they're probably safe from unseen ick. That test found, however, that even after just a second or two, food on the floor can pick up thousands of potentially unfriendly germs. Ever since, dozens of doctors and scientists have argued - on both sides - that the five-second rule is misguided.

Excerpted from the MD Mama blog on boston.com. Anyone who has parented teenagers would agree that there is something, well, different about their brains. Just recently, there was a story about teens drinking hand sanitizer. Apparently you can get drunk off the stuff. And what about the cinnamon challenge, where kids (usually teens) eat a spoonful of cinnamon (which can be dangerous) just to see if they can? You really have to wonder about the brain of anybody who would try this stuff.

In the age of swine flu, Greyhound bus drivers have a lot more to think about than driving the bus. Each driver now goes through training to assess passengers who look sick, asking them: “Are you running a fever? Do you feel achy?’’ Buses are also now equipped with vinyl gloves and a respirator mask in case drivers have to interact with a passenger who becomes ill. Millions of Americans will be boarding planes, buses, and trains this week to visit friends and relatives for Thanksgiving, and this year riding in enclosed spaces with other people comes with a new worry:...

Fictional television politicians tend to fall into one of two categories: noble or nefarious. The former category includes the likes of the folksy President Jed Bartlet (Martin Sheen) of "The West Wing," and a recent example of the latter, Kelsey Grammer's Mayor Tom Kane, will be chewing his way through the Chicago skyline in a second season of the often-riveting Starz drama "Boss" in August. What you rarely see, and what makes HBO's new series "Veep," premiering Sunday at 10 p.m., such a treat, are politicians as regular people.

Excerpted from the MD Mama blog on boston.com. Anyone who has parented teenagers would agree that there is something, well, different about their brains. Just recently, there was a story about teens drinking hand sanitizer. Apparently you can get drunk off the stuff. And what about the cinnamon challenge, where kids (usually teens) eat a spoonful of cinnamon (which can be dangerous) just to see if they can? You really have to wonder about the brain of anybody who would try this stuff.

It's been nine years since a high school intern at the University of Illinois dared question pop-culture convention and test the so-called "five-second rule" - the one that says if food or utensils have been on the floor or ground for five seconds or less, they're probably safe from unseen ick. That test found, however, that even after just a second or two, food on the floor can pick up thousands of potentially unfriendly germs. Ever since, dozens of doctors and scientists have argued - on both sides - that the five-second rule is misguided.

With the FAA's restrictions on liquids and gels, many of the things parents tote around for their tots - hand sanitizer, bug spray, and sunscreen - cannot be carried on planes. Luckily, many of these come in nonliquid form. Sani-Hands antimicrobial wipes cost about $3 for 24 individually wrapped packets. Insect repellent with DEET (by Cutter, 20 for $4.49) and without (by Bite Blocker, 20 for $8.19) are available in wipes as well. And towelettes premoistened with SPF 30 sunscreen by Shady Day ($13.99 for a pack of 15)

Fictional television politicians tend to fall into one of two categories: noble or nefarious. The former category includes the likes of the folksy President Jed Bartlet (Martin Sheen) of "The West Wing," and a recent example of the latter, Kelsey Grammer's Mayor Tom Kane, will be chewing his way through the Chicago skyline in a second season of the often-riveting Starz drama "Boss" in August. What you rarely see, and what makes HBO's new series "Veep," premiering Sunday at 10 p.m., such a treat, are politicians as regular people.

Katelyn Peckham never loses anything. She swears. She is the most organized person she knows. But somehow, the 25-year-old Reading woman left her engagement ring on the commuter rail's Haverhill line yesterday morning on her way to work. The diamond on the ring was a family heirloom, and the loss sparked a frenzied hunt that included a blast of Facebook messages and tweets from co-workers encouraging others to hunt for the ring. By a stroke of good luck, a conductor discovered the ring in the train.

Like many others preparing for a cruise and hoping to stave off stomach ailments, I packed liquid hand sanitizer, Clorox wipes, antacid, and Imodium pills. Before boarding, I wasn't surprised when I had to fill out a form asking about recent gastrointestinal ailments. I was surprised, though, to discover that passengers and crew from the previous week's voyage had contracted a norovirus, a common cause of stomach flu symptoms, and that extra measures were being taken to prevent its spread.

It's been nine years since a high school intern at the University of Illinois dared question pop-culture convention and test the so-called "five-second rule" - the one that says if food or utensils have been on the floor or ground for five seconds or less, they're probably safe from unseen ick. That test found, however, that even after just a second or two, food on the floor can pick up thousands of potentially unfriendly germs. Ever since, dozens of doctors and scientists have argued - on both sides - that the five-second rule is misguided.

It's been nine years since a high school intern at the University of Illinois dared question pop-culture convention and test the so-called "five-second rule" - the one that says if food or utensils have been on the floor or ground for five seconds or less, they're probably safe from unseen ick. That test found, however, that even after just a second or two, food on the floor can pick up thousands of potentially unfriendly germs. Ever since, dozens of doctors and scientists have argued - on both sides - that the five-second rule is misguided.

Katelyn Peckham never loses anything. She swears. She is the most organized person she knows. But somehow, the 25-year-old Reading woman left her engagement ring on the commuter rail's Haverhill line yesterday morning on her way to work. The diamond on the ring was a family heirloom, and the loss sparked a frenzied hunt that included a blast of Facebook messages and tweets from co-workers encouraging others to hunt for the ring. By a stroke of good luck, a conductor discovered the ring in the train.

In the age of swine flu, Greyhound bus drivers have a lot more to think about than driving the bus. Each driver now goes through training to assess passengers who look sick, asking them: “Are you running a fever? Do you feel achy?’’ Buses are also now equipped with vinyl gloves and a respirator mask in case drivers have to interact with a passenger who becomes ill. Millions of Americans will be boarding planes, buses, and trains this week to visit friends and relatives for Thanksgiving, and this year riding in enclosed spaces with other people comes with...

Q. Is the growing use of hand sanitizers changing the normal ecology of our hands, making it easier for the MRSA bacteria to grow? A. Probably not. MRSA, or methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, normally lives in the nose and throat, the armpits and the perineum (the area near the anus), said Dr. J. Owen Hendley, professor of pediatric infectious diseases at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. It’s not commonly carried on the hands. Using a hand sanitizer, or washing with soap and water, kills the “transient flora,’’ or bacteria,...

With the FAA's restrictions on liquids and gels, many of the things parents tote around for their tots - hand sanitizer, bug spray, and sunscreen - cannot be carried on planes. Luckily, many of these come in nonliquid form. Sani-Hands antimicrobial wipes cost about $3 for 24 individually wrapped packets. Insect repellent with DEET (by Cutter, 20 for $4.49) and without (by Bite Blocker, 20 for $8.19) are available in wipes as well. And towelettes premoistened with SPF 30 sunscreen by Shady Day ($13.99 for a pack of 15)

Q. Is the growing use of hand sanitizers changing the normal ecology of our hands, making it easier for the MRSA bacteria to grow? A. Probably not. MRSA, or methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, normally lives in the nose and throat, the armpits and the perineum (the area near the anus), said Dr. J. Owen Hendley, professor of pediatric infectious diseases at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. It’s not commonly carried on the hands. Using a hand sanitizer, or washing with soap and water, kills the “transient flora,’’ or bacteria, including MRSA, that is temporarily...

Like many others preparing for a cruise and hoping to stave off stomach ailments, I packed liquid hand sanitizer, Clorox wipes, antacid, and Imodium pills. Before boarding, I wasn't surprised when I had to fill out a form asking about recent gastrointestinal ailments. I was surprised, though, to discover that passengers and crew from the previous week's voyage had contracted a norovirus, a common cause of stomach flu symptoms, and that extra measures were being taken to prevent its spread.