Im an infectious disease doc the way-too-common things people do that make me squirm

What’s worse than spreading a disease? Not even realizing when you’re doing it.Unfortunately, it happens more often than most people think because of simple, everyday behaviors that may seem harmless.Dr.Bruce Hirsch, MD, an attending physician of infectious diseases at Northwell Health, teveals the super common habits that make him squirm because of their likelihood to spread pathogens.And while they’re a bad move for anyone, he warns that they’re especially risky for people who are more vulnerable to illness, like those with weakened immune systems and delicate GI tracts.Washing one’s hands might not come as a surprise, but it’s not just about getting rid of dirt.The bigger concern is the bacteria you may be carrying without even knowing it.

Hirsch explained that while many of those germs don’t make you sick, they can be harmful to someone else.“Often, a lot of us are colonized with bacteria that we’re getting along with fine but can cause illness in other people,” he told The Post.“If a person is colonized with potentially dangerous bacteria, then that becomes a real issue.

Sometimes, it’s not just the bacteria, it’s what the bacteria are doing.”The fix is simple: Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and running water, creating friction by rubbing them together for at least 10 seconds before rinsing.And don’t stop there.

Hirsch said it’s important to dry your hands with a towel or hand dryer rather than just shaking off the water.Everybody sneezes.

The problem is where those sneezes land.Many people instinctively sneeze into their hands, which can quickly spread germs to everything they touch afterwards.But your elbow is actually the safest target, Hirsch said.“You’re supposed to put all the sneeze right in there so that it impacts a spot that never will touch anybody else or anything around you,” he explained. He advises achooing right inside the bend of the elbow, pulling up your arm and turning away from anyone nearby...