Many people fear the toilet seat, especially in public toilets. Most germs cannot survive for long on surfaces such as a toilet seat. And to infect you directly, they have to get to your urethra or genitals themselves. So unless you sit on the toilet seat with an open wound, the risk of direct contamination is very small. But when you touch the toilet seat with your hands when visiting the toilet, and then touch your mouth, eyes or nose, it becomes a completely different story.
Many germs can be found in large numbers in our excrement. From Covid-19 to salmonella: those who are infected themselves often discharge their germs during a toilet visit. You will find up to 10 billion particles per gram of stool for most gastrointestinal viruses. We produce about 100 to 400 grams of stool per day. So it involves countless germs. And we are not even talking about diarrhea.
The most common types of infections that can be acquired from using a public toilet are intestinal infections, urinary tract infections, and skin infections.
Fecal bacteria such as E.coli, Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, are abundant on the surface of public toilets and can easily transfer to your body. It’s important to take precautions when using public restrooms, such as washing your hands thoroughly and avoiding direct contact with toilet surfaces. It’s also a good idea to use a disinfectant hand spray or hand gel for extra hygiene1.
Bron(nen): HLN sweetesthome
2023-09-07 13:07:15
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