WATCHING OUT FOR GERMS.

WATCHING OUT FOR GERMS. Kids, over 60 years ago, my favorite magazine was Highlights for Children, primarily for the hidden pictures feature. There was always an article in Highlights about the dangers of germs, which could be on any public surface. My parents cautioned me frequently about money—“You don’t know who touched it last.” Then there was a long period when it seemed to me that, perhaps because of the increased use of antibiotics, there was less concern about coming in contact with germs. Now, after studies have shown that flu and colds seem to be spread by the hands rather than through the air, concern seems to be returning to the levels of my childhood. Our supermarket has wipes at the door to wipe off the handles of shopping carts. This article from Reuters on Yahoo (by Alina Selyukh) warns people of other places with lots of germs: handles on public mailboxes, escalator rails, ATM buttons, parking meters and kiosks, crosswalk buttons and buttons on vending machines in shopping malls.