This could well be by design, or at least counted on, and would explain why we have been told for so long now that they're expecting a major outbreak
in the Autumn.
Do those bowls of candy kids are reaching for provide the means of spreading swine flu?
“It's a possibility,” deputy Sonoma County Public Health Officer Mark Netherda said.
But like other experts, Netherda said the problem is easily ameliorated by having someone in good health with clean hands pass out the candy instead of letting kids grab for it - or even scoop it with a utensil into trick-or-treaters' bags.
“The designated dispenser - instead of the designated driver,” Netherda said - though he's in favor of the latter, too.
The H1N1 virus that causes swine flu can survive for as long as eight hours once its deposited on a surface.
Spreading it through candy wrappers and bowls is somewhat hypothetical, Netherda said, though one can imagine a young trick-or-treater wiping his nose, reaching for a candy and leaving behind some unwanted contaminants that could infect the next child if he or she were to touch his eyes, nose or mouth.
The fix is to do the kind of things health experts have been advising for months: use tissues, keep hands clean and avoid touching one's nose, mouth and eyes.
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