Some modest proposals regarding 'Contagion'

Am I a card-carrying germaphobe? I’m getting there. As I edge toward full membership, watching the movie “Contagion” could well confer on me lifelong membership (unless, of course, I catch a cold from the person sitting behind me in the movie and die).

I’ve always been amazed by people who conduct themselves as if they don’t believe in the germ theory of disease. They drink from one another’s glasses, share straws, lick the baby’s pacifier to get it “clean,” sneeze into their hands and merrily spread bacteria and viruses wherever they go.

Even when my kids were young, I knew to keep them apart when one of them had a virus. I knew to wash their hands when they came home from a playground. I knew not to kiss them on the lips. (Love is not an anti-bacterial agent.)

Perhaps I was a bit ahead of my time in the germ-protection area, but now I’m well ahead of the crowd. Years ago I took to heart studies that revealed the kitchen as the dirtiest room in the house, even worse than the bathroom. Kitchen sinks and drains, sponges and dish towels harbor gazillions of microbes. Drains should be cleaned daily with anti-bacterial soap; sponges should be sent through the dishwasher.

We all know by now not to put raw meat or fish on a countertop and to wash all produce carefully. I use disposable plastic gloves when I handle raw fish or chicken, then I toss the gloves before moving on to another task.

When moving laundry from the washing machine to the dryer, be aware, the experts say, that you may be contaminating your hands with e-coli bugs that haven’t been killed in the wash. Therefore, scrub your hands before you move on to another job, and be sure to use water that is at least 150 degrees.