I find, when it comes to Valentine’s Day, it is hit or miss
in terms of how or if people celebrate.
My husband and I exchange cards and candy. This year I got candy. My husband only got a card. I have a colleague who decided that since he
never got anything for Valentine’s Day he was going to stop “celebrating”. If truth is known, my favorite day of the
year to celebrate is my birthday. It’s
MY day. I get to pick what we have for
dinner, dessert and what we do. Those
that know me may think that’s everyday and that may be slightly true, but on my
birthday I milk it for all it’s worth!
This year, while we exchanged cards and candy it was pretty
low key. We’ve had influenza hit our
house and my husband has had his first ever bout of pneumonia. Our infection
control measures have obviously been lacking and yes, if you’re wondering neither
of us had our flu shot… Since Valentine’s Day for many is a day of love, kisses
and snuggles, sharing
our germs is not really the ideal gift. Kissing is probably one of the most common signs of
love and affection, but did you know that our mouths are home to thousands of
different microorganisms? While kissing
can be a direct route of transmission for oral related diseases, in-direct
transmission through contaminated hands and surfaces leaves us susceptible to
catching someone else's "cooties".
While Valentine’s Day may be behind us, there are many who
will have waited to celebrate this weekend.
For those who waited, I’m hoping these tips will help you stay healthy
during and after you celebration!
So what's the best way to protect yourself this Valentine's Day? The
easiest and most effective way to prevent "cooties" is to practice
good hand hygiene (and of course don’t kiss sick people). To be on the safe
side, here’s a reminder of when you should wash your hands:
- Before, during, and after preparing food
- Before eating food
- Before and after caring for someone who is sick
- After using the washroom
- After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
- After touching pets and animals
- After touching garbage
Wishing everyone a Happy Valentine’s Day! If, like me you love chocolate and decide to hit
the stores to participate in post-Valentine’s Day Chocolate sales, I really
love Cadbury’s Mini-Eggs!
Bugging Off!
Nicole