Which is less germy, a toilet seat or your office desk? How long can germs survive on surfaces? Test your knowledge of germs with our Everwell Challenge.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
Narrator: Worried about germs? Lots of us are, but few of us have all the facts.
To find out how much people really know, we pounded the pavement and posed a few questions.
Ok, first one…in general, how long can viruses or bacteria survive on most surfaces?
Is it A…10 minutes.
B…one hour.
C…2 hours.
D…2 days.
People guessing:
“I’m gonna go with D, 2 days. Viruses are pretty resilient.”
“It’s D. Two days.”
“Uhh, D. I’d go with D.”
Narrator: Looks like we have a consensus. But are they right? For the answers we turned to germ expert Dr. Christine Moe from Emory University.
Christine Moe, PhD Emory University: The answer is C, 2 hours. Some studies have shown that bacteria and viruses can live on doorknobs, desktops and surfaces for up to two hours. Germs in general tend to like areas that are moist, they like moisture, they like areas that are cool. And they also like areas that are dark that don’t have sunlight. So those are the parts of your house where you have to be especially vigilant.
Narrator: Moving from your house to the workplace, which of these surfaces at a typical office is the least germy?
Is it A…an elevator button.
B…a toilet seat.
Or c…a desktop?
People guessing:
“I’m going to say the toilet seat. People don’t have their hands on it as much.”
“A desktop.”
“Uhh, can I just say all of them?”
Christine Moe, PhD Emory University: You may not believe this but the answer is B, a toilet seat.
Woman: “Toilet seat, my goodness, ok I’m doing really well here”
Christine Moe, PhD Emory University: Some researchers at the University of Arizona did a study where they looked at different surfaces and they found that the toilet seat was less contaminated. Areas that are cleaned more frequently, like toilets, tend to have less germs than things that are cleaned less frequently like desktops, telephones and elevator buttons. Studies have looked at port-a-potties and found that they were less contaminated than picnic tables which are rarely cleaned.
Narrator: Ok, next question – to prevent the spread of germs, for how long should you wash your hands?
People guessing:
“I guess longer then we do, uhhh 45 seconds”
“Let’s go with 15 seconds.”
“I would say minutes not seconds.”
“At least 30 seconds. Around a minute?”
Christine Moe, PhD Emory University: 15-20 seconds is usually fine. That works well for most people. Since you don’t usually have a stopwatch with you, you can sing a song. And actually with kids it’s fun to teach them to sing the ABC song or Happy Birthday when they wash their hands.
Narrator: Now you know how long you should wash. But which of these tips can increase the effectiveness of hand washing?
A…working up lots of lather.
B…drying your hands afterwards.
Or C…using antibacterial soap?
People guessing:
“C, using antibacterial soap. It’s anti bacterial so one would think that would be better.”
“Drying your hands after washing. Because I think drying your hands after washing makes your skin less susceptible and it closes your pores.”
Narrator: Well, sort of – drying your hands is the right answer, but your pores don’t really have anything to do with it.
Christine Moe, PhD Emory University: Germs love moisture so you want to be sure to get the moisture off your hands. But it is important to use a clean towel or a paper towel or a hand dryer. Lathering is good but it’s really the scrubbing action that gets the germs off your hands. And antibacterial soap is good but it hasn’t been proven to be any more effective than regular soap and water.
Narrator: All right, last question… true or false? Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are better than plain old soap and water when it comes to killing germs.
People guessing:
“Umm, false. They are not better than soap and water. Umm, true. True what? They are better.”
“True”
“That’s a trick question…A lot of soaps don’t kill bacteria but they remove it.”
Narrator: Looks like we found ourselves a scientist. He’s right – it’s true that hand sanitizers are better at killing germs. But soap and water is actually more effective at physically removing germs.
Christine Moe, PhD Emory University: Alcohol based hand sanitizers are a great solution. However, if you’re at home and you have access to soap and water that’s a better way to get the dirt off your hands because of physical removal.
Narrator: So, how do you think you fared??
Man: “Not great. I would say that’s about a D minus.”
Woman: “I think I am amazing and I am more intelligent than most of the people here today. Ha Ha.”