More good news for the hand sanitizer manufacturers of the world: Rhinoviruses, aka the common cold to you and me, are passed by hand, according to two UVA pediatric researchers quoted in today’s Boston Globe. Seems humans cannot fight the urge to touch their nose and eyes many times per hour, even apparently when stuff is dripping out of them. Because the 100 viruses that go into the common cold flourish in the nose and tear ducts, those ever-touchy hands become convenient carriers. The mouth, researchers say, doesn’t work the same way.
Translated: You can kiss your germy, oozy loved one without concern. We leave it to you to decide if you want to.
