When your signature can make you sick

[badon]

How often are you handed a pen when it comes time for you to sign something? Did you know that pen could make you sick? I insist on using my own pen, and I shun the "sick stick" that everyone else uses. Before H1N1 swine flu outbreak I was always treated with snickering courtesy. Now, my insistence on using my own pen is taken seriously as a reasonable way to prevent the spread of contagious diseases.

The last time I was mildly ridiculed for my insistence on using my own pen, within 3 days most or all of the people in the facility became very ill with a potent strain of the flu virus. I got a bit scratchy in the back of my throat that lasted a couple of days, but I felt completely normal. I did not get sick even while spending large amounts of time around many, many very sick people in that office, since I had already acquired immunity from the lower viral doses I was exposed to naturally. Since I had been the running joke only days earlier, it was obvious to everyone why I was the only one that didn't get sick. My associates learned from that experience, and from then forward everyone was required to use their own pen. If someone loaned out a pen, they didn't want it back after you were done with it, haha!

It's a business decision for me. Do I really want to lose a week of productivity while I puke my guts out? Um, I'll pass, thanks. I've been practicing good hygiene this way for many years, and I've noticed something interesting: During the seasons when illnesses are typically swirling around throughout the population, I don't suffer the financial losses that everyone else does. Score 1 point for me.

On top of that, since I can't completely avoid the viruses that cause these illnesses, I still get exposed to them like everyone else does. The difference is that, instead of receiving the massive viral dose that everyone else gets, I only get a very tiny dose. I might feel a little bit scratchy in the back of my throat for a couple of days, but I feel fine, and after that I'm completely immune. Everyone else gets their immunity by getting sick. I get my immunity without getting sick. I do it the easy way. Score 1 more point for me.

I have been asked if I use hand sanitizer or antimicrobial soaps. Generally, I avoid such harsh antimicrobial products. Instead, I simply rinse my hands with water after touching objects that are likely to have been touched by someone with a contagious illness (public doorknobs, etc). The reason why is because there's all kinds of microbes on and within our bodies that aren't normally harmful, but if they're killed indiscriminately with antimicrobials, they could become resistant and aggressive.

People die from common bacteria like clostridium difficile, which would ordinarily be harmless, simply because they've killed it off unnecessarily and forced it to become aggressive in order to survive. You can't beat nature, and if you try, you will lose and probably die horribly. So trust me on this one: avoid antimicrobial products unless you have a very specific reason to use them. Unless your have a premature baby, an AIDS patient, or a fragile elderly adult in your home, you probably don't have a good reason to use antimicrobials because they will do more harm than good.

I've started using hand sanitizer lately if it's inconvenient for me to rinse my hands with common water, such as when having a meal after doing the repetitive handshake thing at large business gatherings. Hand sanitizer kills off more than I want to though, and gives me no opportunity to build a natural immunity. When I use plain water, that usually leaves enough of whatever common flu or cold is floating around that I can get that minor scratchiness in the back of my throat that makes me immune to it, while still eliminating most of the viruses so that I won't feel sick at all.

I wouldn't normally write about hygiene for a business audience, but since massive amounts of money are lost due to illnesses each year, I think it's a sensible thing to discuss. My methods have worked so well for me that I sometimes go 2 or 3 years without ever feeling sick, even though I'm constantly exposed to the same infectious bugs that everyone else is. I just came away from a business gathering recently, and I'm sure it won't be long before my peers begin calling in sick en masse, while I move in on their missed opportunities...

Here's a few tips and tricks that I use to avoid getting sick:

* Always carry your own pen, and never use the "sick stick" that's usually offered when it's time for you to sign your name. If you'd like, you can ignore the other tips and just use this one.
* Avoid touching your face, body, clothing, food, or personal possessions after you have touched objects like doorknobs that are frequently handled by others.
* After touching objects that have been touched by many others, rinsing your hands in water is usually enough to prevent illness.
* Do not wash your hands obsessively. It can lead to cracked, dry skin that is much more vulnerable to infection than if you never washed your hands at all. Getting sick once or twice a year is not that big of a deal compared to always having chapped leather hands.
* DO NOT FREQUENTLY USE ANTIMICROBIALS. I'm serious. Abusing antimicrobials could kill you.