Keep the Humans Outside They're Crawling with Bugs

Just by walking into a room you add “37 million bacteria to the air for every hour you remain there,” according to a study by California Watch.

It's the first to look at the bacteria humans, rather than objects, bring, according to UC Berkeley professor William Nazaroff.

The researchers “monitored a university classroom” for four days while it was filled with humans, and compared it with the four days it was vacant.

People in a room produced tons of fungi and bacteria which circulated in the air, the researchers found. The most predominant bacteria was a human skin critter called Propionibacteria. According to Wikipedia, these are parasites that live "in and around [our] sweat glands."

"All infectious diseases we get, we get indoors," according to the study. 

And what’s the biggest source of indoor bacteria? Floor dust. "Floor dust turns out to be the major source of the bacteria that we breathe." And carpeted rooms are the “most infested.”  

My friend, who’s half Korean, half Mexican won’t allow shoes in the house. Her half Puerto Rican, half Croatian husband loves make fun of her for this. 

"Hajima!" (Meaning stop!), he'll shout loudly when you walk into their house. 

“Shoes, off!” He’ll yell. “Korean household!”

He loves to tease his wife for her obsession with not bringing in germs from outside. But she maintains that that’s the only way to keep your house clean and that what you track in from outside is thoroughly disgusting. 

Well, this study seems to suggest he’s right after all. We're at more risk inside the house. Now if my friend could only figure out a way to keep the parasite-ridden people out, her house would be really clean.