Watch Kathy, Mark Your Music, And Wash Your Hands. (Not Necessarily In That Order)

Yet another wave of sickness is tearing through the choir, and it's reportedly a virus, meaning antibiotics won't be any use against it. Nurse Kathy, who does not have a medical degree but did stay at a Holiday Inn Express, says the best thing you can do to prevent illness from spreading is to wash your hands frequently. Nurses who do have medical degrees always wash their hands when entering and leaving a hospital room.

The Centers for Disease Control explain why handwashing is so important; one reason is to make antibiotics more effective. I hope it is utterly redundant for me to say you need to do so after going to the bathroom, even the nice clean ones where we rehearse. The Mayo Clinic adds that you may be washing your hands incorrectly; one big no-no is antibacterial soap, which can give rise to antibiotic-resistant "superbugs."

Until now, I had always washed my hands with hot water, but then I was wondering why my hands were so chapped and dry, especially in our arid climate. It turns out, as the Mayo article says, cold or warm water is best for handwashing. My resident (registered and soon to have her master's) nurse informs me hot water opens the pores too much and causes the skin to crack, allowing more bacteria to enter.