Myth: You can catch the cold or flu from going out with wet hair.
Reality: Sorry moms, but you’re not right about this one. Heading out with wet hair won’t raise your chances of getting the flu1. Being in the cold weather will only make you colder with perhaps give you a runny nose. The only way you can get the flu is to come in contact with coughing or sneezing and being exposed to the virus1.
Myth: If I keep my distance, I won’t get sick.
Reality: Staying away from sick people is smart, but not foolproof. First, people can be contagious without showing symptoms and second, people with the flu can give it to anyone within about six feet3. The flu spreads when a sick person coughs, sneezes, talks or touch sometime like a door handle or a phone. This is a critical fact if you ride public transportation.
Myth: Most germs are spread from the bathroom.
Reality: The germiest things you’ll touch all day are actually your cell phone and money. Research has shown that a quarter usually contains more germs than a toilet seat. When it comes to the workplace, the top germ offenders don’t include the bathroom, they are actually; coffee pot handles, tabletops, doorknobs, phones, keyboards and elevator buttons 4.
At the end of the day the strategy is simple – wash your hands and stay away from those who
are infected.
1. Watson, Stephanie. Will going out with wet hair really give you a cold? How stuff works, Health. January 12th, 2017.
2. CDC, 2016. Flu Vaccine and People with egg Allergies. Seasonal Influenza (Flu), Prevention – Flu Vaccine. January 12th, 2017.
3. CDC, 2014. How Flu Spreads. Seasonal Influenza (Flu), Influenza – Flu Basics. January 12th, 2017.
4. Simon, Avrom, 2016. The 13 Germiest Places You Need to Know. On Health, Cold & Flu. January 12th, 2017.
