Are you one of those germ freaks who grab paper liners before sitting down on the loo? Then, you wouldn’t like this very much.
It turns out that those liners may have more to do with providing you with reassurance than actually doing anything to prevent infectious diseases, says specialist Dr. William Schaffner, M.D., a professor of preventive medicine at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
“That’s because toilet seats are not a vehicle for the transmission of any infectious agents — you won’t catch anything,” Schaffner explains.
Yes, toilet seats were once thought to transmit gastrointestinal or sexually transmitted infections, but that idea has since been refuted in research.
Those liners just exist because of the inherent gross factor, he mentions.
That doesn’t mean that there aren’t disease-causing bacteria on toilet seats. But as Dr. Philip Tierno, M.D., highlights, the skin on our butts serve as an effective, protective barrier.
What does help reduce the spreading of gastrointestinal illness is washing your hands, by using soap and scrubbing for at least 20 seconds before rinsing with water.
Watch the video below to find out more:
[Source]
