The Contaminator

Before I begin this story, let me introduce you to the “Contaminator”, a college graduate and mother of two energetic boys, ages 10 and 12 years old. They live in a typical two bedroom home in the suburb of a large city. She acquired the name “Contaminator” because unknowingly, but definitely, she is a poster girl for cross-contamination.

Cross-contamination, according to the dictionary can be defined like this: contaminate; to render impure by contact or mixture. Then add the word cross which means to move or pass in an intersection and you have, in this situation, the spreading of germs (contaminants) by one’s hands or objects from one place to another. Technical? No in fact it is the most common way that disease germs are spread according to The Center for Disease Control.

Now let’s follow our innocent “Contaminator”. She has washed her hands to prepare breakfast, but not after clearing the dishes used by her boys who happen to have runny noses. She drives to school, stops to workout at her gym, picks up the dry cleaning, buys a few groceries at the supermarket, and arrives at home, dropping her purse on the kitchen counter.

Wherever the “Contaminator” went, she never washed her hands so as she stocks the shelves with groceries she also stores the germs and viruses on them. Let us say that she picked up more than the dry cleaning especially at the gym. It has been reported that the dreaded MRSA (methicillin resistant staph aurues) germ that lurked in hospital environments has now invaded gyms. Once infected, one has to be treated in the hospital for several days.

Let’s discuss the purse. It goes everywhere with its owner. Sometimes ( Say it isn’t true!) it sits on restroom floors, public seats, shopping carts etc. The “Contaminator” upon arriving home, plunks this germ-laden purse on the kitchen counter where food is prepared. She has no clue about infection control and she has touched all these places: car and door handles; steering wheel, gym equipment; shopping carts; money; garage door opener; kitchen cupboards and more. At least she washed her hands before making dinner.

She could have carried hand sanitizer and used it until she could wash her hands. She is totally unaware of the label “Contaminator”. I hope that she reads this article.