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Schools, gyms, hospitals, locker rooms, day care facilities, firehouses, the average home.
Just a few of the places superbugs like MRSA (methicillin-resistant staphylycocous aureus) has been found lurking in significant quantities. What's the big deal with MRSA? Perhaps you've heard of something called a STAPH infection. Well, MRSA is an antibiotic-resistant STAPH bug, which can lead to an antibiotic-resistant STAPH infection. Many of these are life-threatening. Besides MRSA there are many other superbugs. Take the contagious, antibiotic-resistant CRE for example. A recent study published in the medical journal, Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, revealed that cases of CRE increased five-fold in community hospitals from 2008 to 2012 in the Southeastern U.S. And often times, hospitals aren't required to report infection-related deaths. However, the last CDC Study revealed that 18,000 people in the US were killed by infections in 2005. Today, that number is probably much higher. Superbugs truly are a silent killer. Not just because they're on a microscopic scale and thus it's easy to pick up an infection, but because a large number of people in the world don't know they exist. If you asked a random person on the street, they probably have never heard of it. But they probably saw what Iggy Azalea last tweeted. And that is part of the problem. The less that people know about it, the less pressure there is on leading figures to lay down an action plan to address it. It also means that people aren't taking steps to protect themselves against this unknown danger. Washing hands can sure lower your risk, but hand soap isn't going to do much against antibiotic-resistant superbugs. However, there are proven killers of these superbugs and other serious viruses. The same journal that published the report mentioned above, Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, confirmed in a separate study that ozone is an effective killer of MRSA, as well as a host of other fungi, viruses, and bacterium. In hotels, schools, daycares, and hospitals, ozone can be used to disinfect entire rooms. Athletes can use ozone to disinfect their hockey, football, lacrosse, and motocross gear. And firefighters can disinfect their bunker gear, or police can disinfect Kevlar vests and tactical suits.
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Excuses can be a beautiful thing. When used in the right way, they can get us out of all sorts of trouble, like doing our chores, or getting us out of jury duty. And they are a real wingman when it comes to the sweet, sweet practice of procrastination.  "I would love to feed the dog... but this Ferrari isn't gonna drive itself." However, sometimes we take advantage of our friend, The Excuse, and we use him in vile ways. Like for instance, if you play hockey, you know that your gear can really start to reak after just a few games. And over the course of a few years --maybe even a couple decades of no treatment -- it transitions to smelling like the shorts of Andre the Giant after he's gone for a jog through the Mojave desert. Perhaps there are a few excuses you've used to defend your stance of preserving the unholy state of your hockey gear. I'm here to tell you your excuses are bad. Below are just a few... 4. It's Part Of the Game This is probably the one excuse that is used most often. At first it's annoying to hear, but then you think about it and you can see where the person is coming from. For decades, Eau de Chat Urine has been the signature scent of hockey gear.  "You have my bladder to thank for your success." You just got used to smelling it over and over, every time you walked into a dressing room. But that's only because there hasn't been a proper way to clean gear. Now the technology and methods exist to properly disinfect your gear, so there really is no reason to say it's part of the game. That's like saying the smell of mold and mildew in your house is just part of living in a house. No, it's not. If you walked into your house and recieved a huge dose of moldy breeze to the nostrils, you would be speed-dialing the army to come over PRONTO to wipe it out before you'd even hit the floor. It's the result of water damage in your house, and you know it needs to be killed, otherwise it can cause severe damage to your health. Playing with gear that is moldy and full of bacteria is no different! It's dangerous to your health, and needs to be treated. "Oh well," you say, "I'll just tough it out. Because..." 3. It's Part Of Being a Man "It's called being a man! It's a manly scent!" This is one excuse that we've heard before and perhaps you've used it to. This is what you look like when you say that:  "It's a manly scent! I'm a man!" What our friend Bozo up there is saying is that only men sweat and stink when they exert themselves. Isn't that a little silly, considering just how many women hockey players there are? I have a lot of women friends who play hockey, and they can tell you first hand, their dressing rooms smell just as nasty as the men's. Saying it's a man's smell is just as silly as saying it's a man's game.  She's laughing at you. We don't live in the early 20th century anymore. Hockey is a sport played by men and women, so to call the smell manly is just untrue. And this is coming from me, a fellow man, just like Bozo. So fine, it's a smell shared by the citizens of Mars and Venus. But come on, the smell is harmless... right? 2. It's Harmless... Right? Let's have an experiment: Why don't you go ask your wife to sniff your hockey gear, and then tell her to her face it's harmless.  Now enjoy your new accommodations. As I'm sure your wife can attest to from her experience of every time she steps into the garage, your gear smells like a dead skunk stuffed with rotten garlic and denial. And there's a simple reason for that: it's filled with mold, mildew, and bacteria. Imagine going years wearing the same clothes over and over, and never washing them once. "Eww!" you say. "Don't say gross things like that." Well wearing your hockey gear for years on end without treating it is like doing the exact same thing. Over time, your hockey gear has become a luxury condominium for all kinds of microscopic nasties, including antibiotic-resistant superbugs. Like these guys:  "Sup." Those microscopic death-grapes pictured above are known as MRSA, which stands for Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus. These fuzzy guys are resistant to many antibiotics and have all sorts of fun symptoms, such as spider bite-like bumps that can lead to deep pus-filled boils; toxic shock syndrome, which includes confusion, stupor, falling into a coma, and massive organ failure; and even necrotizing pneumonia. In other words, it eats your flesh.  "Om nom nom." On top of that, MRSA can spread so rapidly, that within a few days the infected host can be killed. Or if the person is lucky, they can stop the infection -- by amputating the infected limb. And these kinds of infections aren't rare among athletes. In recent years, top athletes in the NHL such as Joe Thornton and Chris Higgins were diagnosed with MRSA infections. The NFL has faced several lawsuits from players who were infected with MRSA as well. They were fortunate enough to be able to treat these strains of MRSA, but other superbugs won't be as friendly. "But it's ok," you say. "I do treat my gear." How? 1. I Air It Out and Spray It Don't get me wrong, airing out your equipment is a good thing to do. It dries the gear quicker, and slows the growth of bacteria. But the bacteria will still grow. And although fragrance spray may mask the odor for a short time, it doesn't remove what's causing odor. So maybe you won't smell it as much, but the source is still there and still just as dangerous. It's kind of like covering your eyes when something bad is happening. Maybe you can't see it, but you're still definitely in danger.  "Prove it!" "Well what if I use an antibacterial spray, smart alec?" Using an antibacterial spray will help slow bacterial growth, true. And it will even kill bacteria on the surface of your gear, so it's not a bad thing to use. However, most of the bacteria grows deep inside the gear, places where the antibacterial spray cannot reach. "Well then, how? HOW do we kill it?" The best way to treat your gear is through an ozone treatment. Ozone is all-natural, 3,000 times more effective than bleach, and it kills MRSA and other antibiotic-resistant superbugs, bacterium that antibiotics can't kill.  "Gee, thanks for explaining what 'antibiotic-resistant' means, James. I get it now." And the Fresh Gear system blasts ozone at high velocity so it gets through the dense padding of your gear, and into hard to reach places like the toes of skates or the fingertips of gloves. It only takes 30 minutes, and it costs less than your average cell phone bill too. So treat your gear! Do it for your own sake, your family's sake, and the sake of everyone who has to share a dressing room with you. "Teenage Boy Playing With Joypad" courtesy of imagerymajestic // Freedigitalphotos.net "Sofa in Living Room" courtesy of nuchylee // Freedigitalphotos.net "Professional Showing Thumbs Up" courtesy of imagerymajestic // Freedigitalphotos.net High schools in Carmel, Ind., and Northville, Mich. reported MRSA outbreaks within the past month. The lesson for all high school, collegiate and professional locker rooms: follow the CDC’s recommendation to be more proactive in preventing an outbreak rather than simply cleaning up after one occurs.
Great article in published in WIRED magazine on new technology being used to fight MRSA and other deadly bacteria found in schools, training facilities and even mass transit. Fresh Gear is used by NHL, NCAA, OHL and Canadian National Teams, as well as firefighters, police, corrections, coast guard and military to kill MRSA and other deadly bacteria before leads to an infection. MRSA infections have been in the news a lot recently. Is it a new threat?
Have a look at a summary of MRSA infections in the NFL, dating back to 2003... MRSA: a Silent Danger Lurking in NFL Locker Rooms - ABC News The NFL Players Association (NFLPA) may advise players of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Philadelphia Eagles not to play on Sunday in Tampa Bay depending on the results of a containment report after three Bucs players have tested positive for Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA.
NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith released a statement, saying: We have been involved in an ongoing review of the MRSA incidents in Tampa Bay initiated by the concerns we had about the manner in which team officials responded to these cases. We advised the NFL and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that an outside expert should be brought in to assess the situation and we are pleased with their decision to take that recommendation. We have also been in regular contact with the player representatives from Tampa Bay. We will reach out to the Philadelphia Eagles player representatives today and provide them with our best medical guidance and regular updates from the outside experts. This underscores the need for a League-wide, comprehensive and standardized infectious disease protocol. It also calls for improved accountability measures on health and safety issues by the NFL over the clubs. Fresh Gear sanitizes football pads and other protective sports gear, as well as the locker rooms and other critical areas that need sanitizing. We utilize the natural power of ozone to kill germs on all exposed surfaces, drastically reducing the potential for infection. Using Fresh Gear products results in one of the most effective infection control procedures available, when combined with a basic personal hygiene routine. "The NFL Physicians Society is reminding all team physicians to "remain vigilant" about trying to prevent MRSA infections and says it's acting at the league's request..."
"With no tried and true prevention, the best way to avoid MRSA infections is through hand washing and good hygiene. The close quarters of an NFL locker room...increases the risk of bacteria spreading." It doesn't matter how tough you are...it only takes one bad infection to take you off the roster...or worse! Clean your football pads regularly! More MRSA misery for the Bucs...
The Cleveland Browns lost several players to MRSA a few years back. Bentley's career was cut short. He sued the Browns. We have to treat this invisible enemy for seriously. NFL Kicker out for season due to serious MRSA infection.
Every year more athletes, including the pros, are getting nasty MRSA infections enduring much pain and suffering and losing valuable game time. The best infection control is keeping yourself and your gear clean after every game and practice. Drug-resistant pathogens are killing more than 23,000 in the U.S. each year, says a landmark study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. READ Toronto Star article.
The threat posed by Superbugs is not going away. We need to be aware and react accordingly. |
by James Antinozzi james@freshgear.com google.ca/+JamesAntinozzi1990 James Antinozzi has been in the ozone sanitizing business since 2005, when Ozone Nation Inc. was founded and launched it's flagship product, Fresh Gear. 
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