Several members of my family are sick right now. I have been a little worried (okay, probably a lot worried, but I'm trying) about the kids and I getting it because the symptoms include fevers and severe headaches.
When people are sick I turn into a major germophobe. I mean, I have things that I'm germophoby about on a daily basis, but it's not that bad, and I'm getting better about it. I'm just good at basic hygiene. When it comes to sickness, though, I start thinking about everything that the person touched, everything that they ate off of, and everything that they breathed on. Which is really insane because there's no way to possibly clean everything with germs and bacteria, and if we've already been exposed, then cleaning won't prevent us from getting sick anyway. After exposure we'll have to rely on a strong immune system to fight the virus.
So I cannot obsess about every single sick germ we are possibly touching, because if we're going to get sick, we're going to get sick. But it does give me a good perspective on how easy it is to be consumed by something. To worry about germs, to realize how many there are and how impossible it is to clean every single one, can make you feel insane. So, instead, the better course of action would be to generally avoid the person who is sick, if possible, and to practice basic hygiene. Wash your hands and load up on vitamin C. There really isn't anything else to be done.
In fact, studies have shown that a household that simply practiced basic hygiene had basically the same results as a household that thoroughly sanitized everything with antibacterial cleaners. I've actually heard that overusing antibacterial cleaners all the time is bad for you because it kills the good bacteria as well as the bad.
So I will continue washing my hands and trying to avoid the sickos, but if we're going to get sick, we're going to get sick, and I need to just accept that and not obsess. I'll find the humor no matter what and stay positive. Everything will be okay!