Jon Olsen | Vaask Founder If you’re reading this, chances are you’re touching one of the germiest objects in your home or office: your keyboard or phone. And it’s also likely that before the next time you wash your hands, you’ll touch your T-zone. What on earth is the T-zone, you ask? It’s the term that infectious disease researchers use for those features of our face where infection gains easy entry: our eyes, nose and mouth. Studies show we can’t keep our fingers off them, which certainly helps explain how 80% of illnesses are spread through our hands. It also reinforces the vital importance of keeping them clean, especially as we enter the flu, cold and COVID season, or FCC, as we call it at Vaask — not to mention RSV. By the numbers It takes only a brief review of germ populations and human habits to understand why we humans are so susceptible to whatever’s “going around.” For one thing, our cellphones, which we’re constantly touching, are said to harbor more than 17,000 bacteria per square inch. Our computer keyboards are also breeding grounds for germs. Desktops themselves have been famously found to have 400 times more bacteria than the average toilet seat. And while some of those bacteria aren’t ordinarily harmful, others are the kind that nobody wants to come into contact with, including COVID-19 and MRSA. And then there’s doorknobs, handles, touch screens, elevator buttons, stair railings — you get the picture. Germs are everywhere, and when you multiply their numbers by the more than 60 times an hour that the average person touches their T-zone, it’s obvious that we’ve got a problem. We’re constantly at risk of infecting ourselves with something nasty. Too much face time Why are we all so hooked on touching our face? Can’t we just stop? Apparently not. Since early childhood, we’ve learned to touch our eyes, nose and mouth on demand. It’s how we show we know the meaning of the words, after all. Researchers have found it can work as a stress reliever — an adult method of self-soothing, perhaps, that works in the same way as thumb-sucking does for many babies. Like thumb-sucking, face-touching is a habit that starts when we’re in the womb. It’s in our DNA — primates do it, too. And while gorillas and chimpanzees may think nothing of it, we humans now know better. We have been educated since early in the COVID-19 pandemic to the fact that the mucous membranes in our eyes, nose and mouth serve as perfect conduits for all sorts of viruses. The late infectious disease researcher Mary-Louise McLaws was renowned for her studies on the frequency of face-touching, especially of the T-zone entryways. She found that people have no idea how frequently they bring their hand to their face: “We rub our eyes, scratch our nose, touch our mouth,” McLaws told The New York Times, creating ample opportunity for viruses to enter our bodies. People need to be aware of how often they do it, she said, and try to limit the frequency. Touch the forehead or an ear instead. Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done. Despite knowing how it’s likely to make us sick, touching our T-zone is a tough, if not impossible, habit to break. Even medical students can’t stop themselves. In one study, they did it as frequently as 23 times an hour. And anecdotal reports suggest that thinking about stopping can actually have the opposite effect. So what’s the answer? From a young age, we’ve all been taught not to touch things that can hurt us or easily break: a hot burner, an electrical outlet, Granddad’s favorite glass decanter. It might be time to start adding “T-zone” to that list. But for those of us who are stuck in our face-touching ways, the answer is twofold: First, stay away from those mucous membranes whenever possible. Touch your cheek, your forehead or your chin instead — anywhere but the T-zone, in other words. And keep a clean tissue handy for the times when you have to touch those areas. Secondly — and more importantly — we all need to practice good hand hygiene. That means washing our hands with soap and water for 20 seconds. But given that researchers have found only 9% of people actually meet the standards set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention when it comes to using soap and water, compared to 84% of people who properly sanitize their hands, it may be even better to use a 60% alcohol-based sanitizer like Vaask’s Island Citrus moisturizing sanitizer gel.  That’s especially true in high-touch areas. Remember, all those doorknobs, handles, buttons and touch screens are precisely the kinds of surfaces where viruses can survive the longest (outside of us, that is). That’s why it’s so vital that we sanitize before and after touching them. If we can all do better at both keeping our hands clean and limiting our T-zone touching, then — fingers crossed — we might just be able to gain the upper hand against germs. Interested in a generous sample of Vaask’s Island Citrus sanitizer gel? Sign up here.

Jon Olsen | Vaask Founder The headlines feel all too familiar.  Hospitalizations are up, schools have experienced shut downs just a few weeks into the academic term, and health experts are warning things may only get worse. COVID-19 is back with a new wave of infections spreading across the globe. COVID is not the only threat. Health experts are also warning that we could be hit with a wave of RSV and the flu—combining into a tripledemic. But while the news feels somewhat dire, there’s also no need to panic.  There are benefits to this not being our first COVID rodeo. Dr. Mandy Cohen, director of the Centers for Disease Control, points out: “We’re the most prepared that we’ve ever been.”  We are in a very different place now. But rather than rushing out to stock up on toilet paper, we should take a smart, proactive approach. It starts with exercising common sense. Stay up to date with the latest expert knowledge, embrace preventative measures, and follow recommendations for protecting yourself and others if you do get sick. We also need to accept that a post-COVID world means living with the virus in our midst. As recently as August 2023, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the World Health Organization director-general, pronounced, “COVID-19 is here to stay.”  Earlier in the pandemic, there was some hope that herd immunity would eventually stop COVID in its tracks. But that now appears to be an unlikely possibility because reinfection after getting the disease or a vaccine is still possible. Experts believe COVID is eventually expected to reach a stage where it is endemic, which is probably the best we can hope for. In other words, we will never be rid of the disease, but its circulation will become somewhat predictable, such as in the case of the common cold and flu.  The power of prevention Now that we understand what we are up against, it’s time to take stock of our options.  The best protection against severe illness is to not get it in the first place.  But there are heavy trade-offs to some preventative strategies. Shutting everything down and telling everyone to stay home is not only bad for the economy, it takes a toll on mental health. No one wants to adopt a nationwide mask mandate, as that decision is best left to the individual. For both the flu and COVID, vaccine makers are staying abreast of the latest mutations, and these vaccines have proven to be effective at either preventing or lessening the severity of the viruses.  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also recently approved the first vaccine against RSV. Currently the vaccine is available for infants through 6 months of age, pregnant women and adults 60 and older.  Taking matters into your own hands Fortunately, one of the most effective ways to protect yourself from illness is also one of the simplest.  Clean your hands. By now, everyone knows the proper method is to wash with soap and water for 20 seconds.  But if we are being honest, there are times when people don’t have access to soap and water or do a quick “splash and dash.” Fortunately, using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol content also effectively kills germs.  Hand sanitizer dispensers, however, are not foolproof. Some estimates have reported 77 percent of sanitizer dispensers are either broken or empty. To address this issue, more places are installing permanent Vaask hand sanitizer dispensers. Designed specifically to withstand frequent use in high-traffic areas, Vaask also uses a 2-liter sanitizer tank that provides more doses than typical, disposable dispensers. Protect others if you get sick Even when we are diligent about preventive practices, we can still be felled by one of the viruses expected to be circulating this fall. If that happens, it’s time to do our part and protect our fellow humans by not spreading the virus around. Have procedures in place for when someone gets sick. If possible, have COVID tests available to help with accurate self-diagnosis. If you test positive, the CDC recommends staying away from others for at least five days and returning to work or school after a negative test result.  Those at higher risk of complications from a respiratory virus can take anti-viral drugs to speed up recovery from flu and COVID viruses.  If we’ve learned anything from the past, it’s that people don’t like being told what to do, but given the tools and good information, we generally make good decisions.  As long as we stay vigilant, make use of the tools at our disposal and behave responsibly, we can put the panic button aside. Interested in a generous sample of Vaask’s Island Citrus sanitizer gel? Sign up here.