Can You Sit on a Hot Stool? Understanding the Infectious Disease Risks

Can’t sit on the hot stool that others have sat on? So say the experts. (Image source: Adobe Stock)
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Recently, “Why can’t you sit in someone else’s seat?”hot stool“oftopicrushed uphot search.The topic quickly arouseddiscussSome people think that it is because of the infection that they cannot sit on the hot stools that others have sat on.diseaseSome netizens said that “I don’t want to sit on hot stools because of psychological effects”, or because “you have to be obedient since childhood education”; many netizens said that they often sit on “hot stools” on the subway, “wait The seat will be gone when it gets cold”, “I’m already tired from work”. So you can’t sit on the hot stool that others have sat on?Is there a way to sit on a hot stool?infectious diseaserisks of?
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Sit on a hot stoolinfectDisease risk?

1. Simple “stool fever” will not cause infection

Most contact-transmitted disease pathogens often cannot survive for too long in a dry and hot environment, and for them to penetrate the skin barrier, they often require sufficient numbers and activity. Therefore, as long as a person’s skin barrier is intact, it is very difficult for these residues on the bench to pose a threat to an individual’s health.

However, there are some pathogens, such as chickenpox, skin candidiasis, scabies, ringworm and other diseases, if the diseased part of the patient’s skin directly contacts the bench, and directly contacts the skin of the next person without complete inactivation, there will be infection possible.

Therefore, no matter what kind of infectious disease it is, the way of transmission is the key, such as contact transmission, blood transmission, respiratory transmission, etc. Simple “stool fever” will not cause infection.

2. Preconditions for contact transmission in a hot environment

The weather is getting hotter, and everyone’s clothes are cooler. Assuming that pathogens are to be transmitted through stools, the most likely way is contact transmission, but this contact also has prerequisites.

For example, the skin of the previous person who sat on the stool directly touched the stool, and the surface of the seat may leave dander, sweat, sebum and some germs on the skin surface. But it does not mean that you will be infected by contact with germs, because pathogens are very sensitive to temperature and humidity, and most of them will die soon after leaving the human body environment. To allow them to penetrate another person’s clothing and skin barrier, a sufficient number is needed And activity, the possibility is very small, so don’t worry too much.

3. It is better to check whether the chair is dirty than to see whether the chair is hot or not

Of course, this is not to say that this risk is completely non-existent. For example, a patient suffering from chickenpox, skin candidiasis, scabies, ringworm and other diseases left bodily fluids on the seat because of broken skin, and someone happened to leave the seat when he left. Immediately after sitting in this position, and unfortunately, there is also skin damage at the part that is in contact with body fluids, so there is still the possibility of infection.

But by the same token, if the previous sitting person left secretions and the latter happened to sit on it, retrograde infection may also occur. “It’s better to see if the chair is dirty than to see if the chair is hot.”

For public places that are regularly cleaned, dry and hygienic, there is not much risk of infectious diseases.

1. Keep away from places with damp and poor cleaning conditions

Some places, such as public restrooms, have poor cleanliness and humidity, which can easily become a breeding ground for germs, so keep them as far away as possible.

2. Wash your face and hands as soon as you get home

Dust in the air tends to settle in the pores of the skin, and hands may come into contact with a large number of public facilities every day. If they touch the mouth and nose without cleaning, it is easy to spread pathogens through the fecal-oral route. Therefore, washing hands frequently and using hand sanitizers with bactericidal effect can better protect personal hygiene.

3. Pay attention to avoid crowded places

Wear a mask in an environment with many people and poor ventilation. If you cough or sneeze, you should cover your mouth and nose to protect yourself and others.

Responsible Editor: Sheng Ge

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