Where Are The Germs?

Where Are The Germs?

I assume you're asking about those paper toilet seat covers found in public restrooms. They're unlikely to protect you from germs - not because they don't work, but because it's actually pretty hard to pick up a bug from a toilet seat. Most germs can't survive for very long on such a surface, so chances are remote that enough of them could get onto or into your body to cause problems. Bugs that cause sexually transmitted diseases get into your body via sexual contact. It's possible, but not at all likely, that if you had a cut or sore on your thighs or buttocks, you could pick up a superficial infection.

A few years ago ABC News asked microbiologist Charles Gerba to check its bathroom. The dirtiest area, in terms of the numbers of bacteria per square inch, was the sanitary napkin disposal unit. Dr. Gerba also found 2 million bacteria per square inch, about 200 times the number found on sanitary surfaces, on the floor. The toilet seat turned out to be cleanest surface checked. Read more