If you have or are getting over a cold, we hope that you feel better soon. However, our colleagues down the hall at Consumer Reports hope that you do not run to your doctor’s office and demand antibiotics unless test results show that your have strep throat, or you show symptoms of pneumonia. Antbiotics are life-saving when you need them, but taking them when you don’t can contribute to antibiotic resistance in the community. [Consumer Reports] [More]
cold and flu season
Do You Have Cold Symptoms? Don’t Reach For Zinc
By 12.8.14
I have been known to reach for vitamin C pills and lozenges at my very first sniffle, but it turns out that this is not good health advice. Our seasonally savvy colleagues down the hall at Consumer Reports tell us that while it feels good to do something when you feel a viral illness coming on, a fistful of zinc lozenges isn’t the best idea. [More]
Mobile Devices Harbor More Germs Than A Men's Room Flush Handle
By 10.15.10
A new study finds that the mobile devices are excellent virus vectors, harboring 18% times more bacteria than a typical men’s bathroom flush handle. Furthermore, “If you put virus on a surface, like an iPhone, about 30 percent of it will get on your fingertips,” said the study’s co-author. And, “a fair amount of it may go from your fingers to your eyes, mouth or nose.” Next time you borrow someone’s cellphone, you might want to bust out the rubber gloves and Lysol first. [More]
