All my life I have believed that soap kills germs. Not so. Who knew?

[MBAnderson]

Soap allows bacteria and viruses to be dislodged from your skin and rinsed away with water.

“Soap doesn't kill germs on our hands, it removes them.”

livescience.com/57044-scien...

“Thus, regular soaps don’t necessarily kill bacteria and viruses as much as they simply help you wash them off your skin.”

sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/...

“One important thing to note is that soap is not really killing the germs in our hands, but rather washing them away.”

blogs.unimelb.edu.au/scienc...

“Soap and water don't kill germs; they work by mechanically removing them from your hands. Running water by itself does a pretty good job of germ removal, but soap increases the overall effectiveness by pulling unwanted material off the skin and into the water.”

/health.harvard.edu/newslett...

“Over-the-counter antibacterial soaps are no more effective at killing germs than is regular soap.”

mayoclinic.org/healthy-life...

Antibacterial soap is no better than regular hand soap and used regularly, may be harmful.

health.state.mn.us/people/h...

unitypoint.org/blankchildre...

[rescuema]

Another fact - viruses are not living organisms, so you don't "kill" something that's not alive but they do carry genetic materials and reproduce/evolve opportunistically.

[GymBag in reply to rescuema]

A little flaw in the design of the universe and eternity ? They are not even a single cell and yet they evolve and find a cell to enter , appropriate what they need and kill the cell, replicate and make others and they are not alive . Why, to what end , what purpose? Well , it turns out you could ask the same thing about humans and get exactly the same answer. It all reminds me of the movie Men in Black. Our whole universe makes up and is actually a ball on a billard table . The virus being made of things so small that we will never even know about them.

We know what is the smallest thing you say ? No , we are water and dust and electrical energy and understand almost nothing. Yet there is this unstopable drive to live, to evolve and to understand . A free for all fight with the last thing left standing being the winner so it can all go down a giant black hole and start again. All of our joy, tears , knowledge , understanding and beliefs, effort, and evolution and life , and our very short existence will eventually end by making a very small poof , that is observed by nothing . Gone forever in the vastness of eternity, just a poof. Now , that is funny.

[Gioc in reply to GymBag]

emh GymBag I point out that here , in this universe,you can meet someone, it is no small thing.!Perhaps this is why it was built.

🤔😊

[GymBag in reply to Gioc]

Woops , sorry your right. I said " Universe " and I should of said " Galaxy "

[CaseyInsights in reply to GymBag]

Oh! Just love this philosophical rant 🌺✌🏾🌺

[rescuema in reply to GymBag]

It depends on whose vantage point. If you could somehow poll all other "living" things on this planet, it'll be found that humans are the most destructive of all. Things unknown, viruses, etc. enforce healthy fears and perhaps divine interventions of sort to balance out matters. Viruses were the true heroes in the War Of the Worlds : D.

I feel nothing when I kill nuisance mosquitoes/flies but they probably have their own right to be on this earth. Make it count, contribute, and leave positive legacy while you can, whether it be out of faith or fear.

[bepo]

We have more viruses and bacteria in our bodies than one would think. All this anti*bacterial sanitizing is a waste of time and money, and I believe, harmful. We need viruses and bacteria. We tend to be too clean.

[rescuema in reply to bepo]

It's true that some germs provide symbiotic health benefits and help strengthen our immune system through exposures, but I wouldn't say sanitizing is a waste of time when you could easily get overwhelmed and deathly sick by myriad dangerous germs.

[bepo in reply to rescuema]

We clean, but never sanitize. I will use vodka, and in the bathroom we use hydrogen peroxide. Neither of us have a cold or flu for years. For me, it was 1998. For George, I think it was longer. High doses of Vitamin D.

[MBAnderson in reply to bepo]

I hear Grey Goose is better than Belvedere, but isn't isopropyl alcohol cheaper?

[bepo in reply to MBAnderson]

Hysterical!

We buy the cheapest we can find. I was using vinegar to clean my tile countertop, and it dissolved some of the grout.

[rescuema in reply to MBAnderson]

Yes, vodkas are 40% alcohol by volume. You need at 60% or more to be effective, so cheaper and better is advised.

[GymBag in reply to bepo]

Bacteria we need.

Virus ? please give one example of a need for any Virus.

[rescuema in reply to GymBag]

here you go

annualreviews.org/doi/full/...

sciencedaily.com/releases/2...

[GymBag in reply to rescuema]

Now that was interesting, thank you

summery :

Some of the viruses infecting humans are indeed capable of causing severe and often lethal diseases, but other viruses can be manipulated to be beneficial to human health. These viruses offer the potential to cure cancer, correct genetic disorders, or fight pathogenic viral infections. In addition, viruses are used in many genetic studies to determine molecular mechanisms, are used as insecticides, and have been reported to increase drought tolerance in some plants. Virologists must strive to downplay the “bad” reputation of viruses and promote dialogue on the many “good” things that they can do.

[bepo in reply to GymBag]

We don't need viruses. They are there. " On an average, healthy individuals carry about five types of viruses in their bodies and the same viruses that make us sick can take up residence in and on the human body without provoking a sneeze or cough." thehealthsite.com/news/ever...

Build up the immune by eating organic food, and taking lots of vitamin

D. I take 20,000 IU's a day.

[rescuema in reply to bepo]

That's too high and you can end up with hypercalcemia amongst other problems.

[bepo in reply to rescuema]

I was tested when I was taking 5,000 IU's. The blood test didn't register any Vitamin D. I increased it to 10,000 a day, and in the winter, or when I don't get 15 minutes of sun a day, I take 20,000. My doctor says that's fine. I have also read where you can take up to 60,000 IU's safely. My sister had breast cancer. I believe I read years ago most women with breast cancer had low vitamin D levels. She takes 20,000 IU's.

OAKLAND, Calif. — Women with higher vitamin D levels in their blood following a breast cancer diagnosis had significantly better long-term outcomes, according to new research from Kaiser Permanente and Roswell Park Cancer Institute. The study was published online today in JAMA Oncology.

Vitamin D is a nutrient best known for its role in maintaining healthy bones; conversely, vitamin D deficiency has been associated with the risk for several cancers.

[rescuema in reply to bepo]

The key is that you're being monitored by your Dr watching the serum level of vitamin D and you obviously have D absorption issue or your kidneys can't readily covert to useful active form to be on an extremely high dosage. It's probably best to qualify your statement than possibly having others follow your protocol to detriment.

[bepo in reply to rescuema]

We trust our doctor. When George recently had an appointment, he asked me how much vitamin D we were taking, because it is so important in building the immune. I told him George takes 5,000 and I take 10,000 in the summer when I get in the sun for 15 minutes, and 20,000 in the winter. He acknowledged that was good. My sister, who has had 2 different cancers, now takes 20,000 iu.

[MBAnderson in reply to bepo]

I agree. I think 20,000 IUs/day is too much.