viruses

To avoid germs, I'm pretty fanatical about washing my hands. I also keep a bottle of hand sanitizer next to my desk. Not only am I keeping germs away, I'm a better employee because of it! Alcohol-based hand sanitizers improve job productivity and reduce the number of days employees are out sick, says a new study. Researchers in Germany found that sick days dropped significantly in offices where hand sanitizer is available.

The study split up a group of 129 participants: one group stuck to their normal hand-washing routine, and the other used hand sanitizer at least five times a day. At the end of the year, the employees who used hand sanitizer reported fewer sick days than those in the control group. They also reported fewer cold and flu symptoms in general. And while job productivity of the two groups was not measured, the researchers deduce that fewer sick days and better health translates into better on-the-job performance. But don't think that this study means you can skip out on soap and water, since hand sanitizer won't kill all viruses, like norovirus or E. coli.

People have many misconceptions about warts that go far beyond the whole "kiss a toad" thing. Even if you understand that the toad caveat is a myth, some other facts and fictions about warts may surprise you.

Most types of warts are relatively painless and harmless, with the exception of genital warts, which are a sexually transmitted disease (read more about genital warts here). All warts (yes, even the genital kind) are caused by a virus known as the human papillomavirus (HPV), of which there are more than 100 types.

So-called common warts are most often found on the hands, while flat warts can surface on the face or backs of hands. A bit more painful and uncomfortable, plantar warts are warts found on the soles of your feet.

So what's the deal with all sorts of warts?