LETTER- Plain soap will do
What's really sad about the current disinfection discussion ["Coming clean: Board weighs in on disinfection debate," July 24] is the display of ignorance coupled with unfounded fear that guides decisions made by many people nowadays.
Dr. Thomas Pajewski, a member of the school board's health advisory board, says, "It's important to clean high-touch areas as thoroughly as possible, even if these areas become re-contaminated after a single use."
This is exactly what does happen, thus illustrating what a waste of time and money it is to disinfect. Yet people feel they should do it anyway because of over-exaggerated fears. The reality is that the majority of microbes (probably about 99 percent) pose no harm at all to humans.
Then this doctor says that "you need to start somewhere" because "the alternative is to let things accumulate." These statements suggest ignorance. Things– meaning bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms– do not "accumulate" if you simply wash the area with plain soap and water. And such simple sanitation should be the main focus of public bathroom cleaning because unsanitary situations are the main source of spreading illness.
The smart way to keep children from contracting serious infectious diseases (colds not included because kids need to be exposed to these illnesses when they are young in order to get their immune systems up and running) is to teach them and their teachers to keep hands clean; keep hands away from eyes, nose, and mouth; keep cuts and scrapes covered; and do not share personal items, such as towels.
The school board chairman asks, "How much green can we afford?" The answer is that the schools and our local governments throw away plenty of green (money) on special products that are not even needed. Soap is cheap, and soap is what should be used.
I just hope these people are wise enough to do away with antibacterial soaps/cleaning agents that are well known to have helped create "superbugs," such as MRSA– the bacteria that is perhaps the cause of this current obsession with "germs."
How ironic that people's misplaced fear and consequent behavior is what brings about ever more virulent organisms that truly are fearsome.
Marlene A. Condon