Between flu season and over one million library visitors a year, is it safe to assume you will not catch something? I decided to take it upon myself and interview campus employees, students, and doctors of epidemiology (the distribution of diseases).

At the University of Florida (UF), the renowned Library West welcomes many students, as well as their germs, daily. However, experts say it is not as harmful as it seems.

Locations with high amounts of traffic are the first to blame once flu season begins. Many students take advantage of Library West and its amenities throughout the school year, but that could increase your risk of infection. Patrick Reakes, the associate dean of scholarly resources and services, claimed, “Marston and [Library] West are the highest volume buildings on campus.”

To keep these areas sterile, janitors begin their daily routine at 5:30 a.m. and circulate between on-campus libraries and, later, do a more detailed clean while the university’s students go on break.

The desktop keyboards and couch-seats, mainly, are the two areas in Library West that are not cleaned as often.

So, it is presumed that there is a build-up of contaminating germs and bacteria, yet experts in epidemiology (the study of disease distribution) tell us not to worry.

The Associate Professor and Vice Chair for UF’s Community Health and Family Medicine, David Feller, said, “… it’s likely that what’s there [bacteria] dries up and a lot of things die when they dry up.”

Yes, you are at risk of catching a virus in such a concentrated area, like Library West, except the probability is slim. The risk is small because it does not take a lot of time for them to die off.

According to Dr. Feller, if a peer sneezed in their hands and started typing, you would not acquire the illness unless you used the keyboard immediately after. However, Dr. Feller does believe that this is a valid concern.

On the other hand, not all students are too concerned with the risk of bacterial hazard in our libraries. Many students would agree that the buildings are kept clean, and the idea of a health risk is the last thing that comes to mind.

Orlando Calas, a second-year student at UF, stated, “I have never been worried to the point where I would not use the library.”

Calas shares that he has never considered himself to be a “germophobe,” so thinking about many students using the same equipment as he has never crossed his mind.

If you are still troubled by possible exposure, make sure to disinfect your hands often so that you do not spread it by touching other things, such as your face.

Public places put you at risk to more germs and bacteria than in your own home, because they remain in the air. It is important to always keep up good hygiene, especially with your hands, to lower your chances.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend that the best way to reduce the spread of disease is through washing hands.

Dr. Feller reminded, “Hand-washing- if done correctly- is probably best because we are mechanically removing things.”

Sources:

Patrick J. Reakes, Associate Dean, Scholarly Resources and Services.

David B. Feller, MD, Associate Professor and Vice-Chair for Community Health and Family Medicine (UF).

Orlando Calas, UF college student.