1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:07,560 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:08,440 --> 00:00:14,680 Speaker 1: Good Morning. This is Laura, Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:16,040 --> 00:00:21,760 Speaker 1: Today's tip is to keep your hands clean. Yep, this 4 00:00:21,840 --> 00:00:25,920 Speaker 1: is a public service reminder, but it is also about 5 00:00:25,960 --> 00:00:31,120 Speaker 1: productivity too. We can't control all the germs in our lives, 6 00:00:32,040 --> 00:00:35,440 Speaker 1: especially if we are caring for other people, but a 7 00:00:35,479 --> 00:00:39,800 Speaker 1: little extra care during cold and flu season can reduce 8 00:00:39,880 --> 00:00:44,800 Speaker 1: the amount of misery we experience along with all the 9 00:00:44,880 --> 00:00:50,560 Speaker 1: inefficiencies that come from being sick. So it is worth 10 00:00:50,680 --> 00:00:56,120 Speaker 1: taking the time to get this right. A great many 11 00:00:56,200 --> 00:01:01,040 Speaker 1: years ago, before COVID introduced hand sanitizer into all public spaces, 12 00:01:01,880 --> 00:01:06,120 Speaker 1: I read a study about hand sanitizers effects on employees 13 00:01:06,319 --> 00:01:11,920 Speaker 1: at a German university. About one administrative employees were studied 14 00:01:12,160 --> 00:01:16,560 Speaker 1: over a year. Half were given hand sanitizer and told 15 00:01:16,600 --> 00:01:20,080 Speaker 1: to use it about five times a day. The others 16 00:01:20,080 --> 00:01:25,000 Speaker 1: were told to follow their usual handwashing hygiene. Now I'm 17 00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:30,080 Speaker 1: pretty sure that these German workers weren't negligent with handwashing. Still, 18 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:34,679 Speaker 1: it turned out that using hand sanitizers significantly decreased the 19 00:01:34,720 --> 00:01:42,039 Speaker 1: odds of being absent with a cold, cough, fever, or diarrhea. 20 00:01:42,280 --> 00:01:44,680 Speaker 1: So even if you are not worried about being absent 21 00:01:44,800 --> 00:01:51,040 Speaker 1: from work. Colds, coughs, fevers, and diarrhea aren't exactly fun 22 00:01:51,080 --> 00:01:55,160 Speaker 1: to experience, so the reduction in these symptoms was a 23 00:01:55,240 --> 00:02:00,760 Speaker 1: massive boost in life satisfaction too. We all know this. 24 00:02:01,640 --> 00:02:04,480 Speaker 1: Washing your hands with soap and water, and with hand 25 00:02:04,560 --> 00:02:08,040 Speaker 1: sanitizer in between visits to a sink can keep you 26 00:02:08,080 --> 00:02:11,480 Speaker 1: from transferring the germs that inevitably land on your hands 27 00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:15,720 Speaker 1: into your mouth or nose. During COVID, many of us 28 00:02:15,760 --> 00:02:20,360 Speaker 1: washed up and used hand sanitizer religiously. As life gets 29 00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:24,560 Speaker 1: back to normal, it's easy to become a little lax. 30 00:02:26,120 --> 00:02:29,200 Speaker 1: But after some recent bouts of illness in my house, 31 00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:35,519 Speaker 1: I am back to fundamentalism. I recently bought three huge 32 00:02:35,520 --> 00:02:39,000 Speaker 1: bottles of hand sanitizers so one could go in each car, 33 00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:42,400 Speaker 1: we take off shoes when we come into the house, 34 00:02:42,480 --> 00:02:45,760 Speaker 1: and so alongside that, I've been telling people to wash 35 00:02:45,840 --> 00:02:50,160 Speaker 1: their hands too. When we do normally wash, like after 36 00:02:50,200 --> 00:02:53,440 Speaker 1: going to the bathroom more before cooking, it's best to 37 00:02:53,520 --> 00:02:58,120 Speaker 1: rub the soap all around, make a production of it. Yes, 38 00:02:58,560 --> 00:03:02,240 Speaker 1: it is annoying to a wash for a full twenty seconds, 39 00:03:03,200 --> 00:03:06,639 Speaker 1: but you know what else is annoying? A cough that 40 00:03:06,760 --> 00:03:11,280 Speaker 1: lasts for two weeks, or a stomach bug that rips 41 00:03:11,320 --> 00:03:16,280 Speaker 1: its way through an entire family. Washing hands will not 42 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:21,120 Speaker 1: ward off all illnesses. There's pretty good evidence that kids 43 00:03:21,160 --> 00:03:24,560 Speaker 1: get sick six to eight times per year, and if 44 00:03:24,600 --> 00:03:28,320 Speaker 1: you have many kids like I do, this is going 45 00:03:28,400 --> 00:03:32,760 Speaker 1: to add up. But if hand washing and hand sanitizing 46 00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:38,200 Speaker 1: helps a family avoid just one bout of illness, that 47 00:03:38,400 --> 00:03:43,840 Speaker 1: is still a big win. Every day of feeling sick 48 00:03:44,680 --> 00:03:50,480 Speaker 1: feels miserable. Not feeling miserable is a much better option. 49 00:03:52,240 --> 00:03:53,880 Speaker 1: So if you are listening to this and you've got 50 00:03:53,880 --> 00:03:58,360 Speaker 1: to sink nearby, go wash your hands or rub them 51 00:03:58,360 --> 00:04:01,960 Speaker 1: with hand sanitizer. If your home, you might take some 52 00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:07,360 Speaker 1: disinfectant your door knobs, light switches and faucets too. It 53 00:04:07,440 --> 00:04:11,040 Speaker 1: has been a rough winter already and it will likely 54 00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:18,280 Speaker 1: stay rough. Staying healthy is a worthwhile endeavor in the meantime. 55 00:04:19,440 --> 00:04:24,279 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making 56 00:04:24,279 --> 00:04:34,159 Speaker 1: the most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to 57 00:04:34,200 --> 00:04:37,160 Speaker 1: hear from you. You can send me your tips, your questions, 58 00:04:37,240 --> 00:04:41,000 Speaker 1: or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook 59 00:04:41,080 --> 00:04:45,880 Speaker 1: and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod. That's b E. The 60 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:50,240 Speaker 1: number four, then Breakfast p o D. You can also 61 00:04:50,240 --> 00:04:53,960 Speaker 1: shoot me an email at Before Breakfast Podcasts at iHeart 62 00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:56,800 Speaker 1: media dot com that before Breakfast is spelled out with 63 00:04:56,839 --> 00:04:59,560 Speaker 1: all the letters. Thanks so much, I look forward to 64 00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:07,800 Speaker 1: staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production of I 65 00:05:07,960 --> 00:05:11,800 Speaker 1: heart Radio. For more podcasts from I heart Radio, visit 66 00:05:11,839 --> 00:05:15,240 Speaker 1: the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 67 00:05:15,279 --> 00:05:16,480 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows.