I am a germaphobe. Probably not an extreme example, but I do avoid directly touching items like public door handles, and I’m very picky when it comes to things like food, or even a bar of soap. If there were a term for germaphobe that omitted things like gardening or my household pets, it would be a better fit. But when it comes to people, my bubble has to be respected.
Flu season is perma cringe season.
Being in any public space is like wandering through a zombie apocalypse. Coughs and sneezes are all around, and there is a lack of the use of hygiene (and courtesy!) basics.
The other day, my daughter and I were in the grocery store checkout line. A woman who was obviously ill got in line with us. Not just behind us, but with us. She spooned with us. And she coughed without bothering to cover her mouth. She coughed down the inside of my daugher’s coat. She coughed directly into my face, from less than a foot away.
My daughter is now sick. I am coming down with it too. May the cranberries, zinc and chicken broth work magic.
The CDC has a handy list of habits that can help avoid the spread of colds and the flu. Wherever you stand on getting flu shots, the rest should be common knowledge and practice. I wish that numbers one through three had been, the other day.
And number four? Yah… there should be a lot more of that, and not just during flu season. So wash your hands!
