My name is Lisa. And I'm a germophobe. I wash my hands ALOT. And I make my son was HIS hands alot. He always complains. And my husband thinks I'm crazy. But then I hear stories like Everly Macario's and I think of that old adage, "better to be safe than sorry."Years ago, Everly took her son Simon to the emergency room after he began experiencing cold and flu symptoms. But after being discharged he had problems breathing and was re-admitted, this time to the Intensive care unit. He died the next day. Later, it was confirmed he had an antibiotic resistant Staph infection known as MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus)
The infection is typically found in community settings, like gyms, locker rooms, childcare centers and schools. Scarey? Yes!
According to the website, Stop MSRA Now, MRSA can be easily spread through skin-to-skin contact and by touching contaminated items. But it can be prevented with these steps:
Scrub up - Wash your hands frequently with soap and warm water for at least 15 seconds - the time it takes to sing Happy Birthday twice - or use an alcohol-based hand rub sanitizer.
Wipe it down - Use a disinfecting bleach solution to wipe down and disinfect hard surfaces. Make sure to use clean cloths to avoid spreading MRSA from one surface to another. (1 tablespoon of disinfecting bleach diluted in 1 quart of water)
Cover your cuts - Keep any nicks or wounds covered with a clean, dry bandage until healed.
Keep to yourself - Do not share personal items, like towels or razors, that come into contact with bare skin.
Use a barrier - Keep a towel or clothing between skin and shared equipment.
How do you spot MRSA? According to the site, MRSA, like other staph bacteria, can cause a skin infection such as pimples, rashes, abscesses, boils or what can look like a spider bite. These infections are usually warm, painful, red or swollen.
To find out more, click on this link.
This post was written on behalf of MomCentral.com
