Risky or Not?

A short podcast about everyday risks from germs

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The image depicts a caring parent using a snot sucker to remove mucus from their infant's nose. The baby appears calm, while the parent has a concerned yet gentle expression. Virus particles swirl around, glowing to emphasize the presence of germs. The setting is a cozy home with soft lighting.

740. Using a "Snot Sucker" With Ones Mouth

March 03, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks posed by using a "snot sucker" with ones mouth.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

  • NoseFrida the SnotSucker – Frida | The fuss stops here.
  • NoseFrida: Winter Colds and Baby’s Snot: A Better Way to Clear It Out • ItsaBelly Doulas
  • Amazon.com : BABY-VAC Clinically Tested Baby Nasal Aspirator - Vacuum-Powered Nose Sucker with Suction Head & Cleaning Brush for Safe and Gentle Relief : Baby Bathing Products : Baby
  • Comparing nasal suction devices in children with bronchiolitis: A pilot randomized control trial - Journal of Pediatric Nursing: Nursing Care of Children and Families
  • Nasal Suction Tip: Little Sucker® Nasal Tip - Neotech Products
  • NoseFrida HYGIENE FILTERS – Frida | The fuss stops here.
March 03, 2025 /Don Schaffner
Cross-contamination, Aerosols, Respiratory Viruses

DALL·E - A detailed image of a spatchcocked chicken resting in a refrigerator. The chicken is spread out flat, with the skin facing up, and placed on a rack next to a fan.

661. Blowing Air Over Raw Chicken

August 30, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of blowing air over raw chicken.

Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼

  • Alton Brown | Dry that chicken! #chicken #refrigeratorlife #goodeats | Instagram
  • Brian Brozovic on X: "#riskyornot, taking into account FSIS Appendix A will be followed for cooking, so specifically airborne risk from household fan being applied to direct surface of raw poultry for rapid thawing @benjaminchapman @bugcounter https://t.co/VYPEPFokjd" / X
  • Airborne Bacteria and Carcass Contamination in Slaughterhouses - ScienceDirect
  • Distribution and Prevalence of Airborne Microorganisms in Three Commercial Poultry Processing Plants - ScienceDirect
  • Microbial Composition in Bioaerosols of a High-Throughput Chicken-Slaughtering Facility - ScienceDirect
  • Mechanically Ventilated Broiler Sheds: a Possible Source of Aerosolized Salmonella, Campylobacter, and Escherichia coli | Applied and Environmental Microbiology
  • Temperature control: food safety tips | North Devon Council
August 30, 2024 /Don Schaffner
Aerosols, Chicken, Salmonella, Campylobacter

DALL·E - A man eating a sandwich with a cow standing next to him. The cow is trying to eat the sandwich too, slobbering and drooling a lot.

620. Making a Sandwich With Bruce the Cow

May 27, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from making a sandwich with "help" from Bruce the Cow.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

  • Bruce the cow loves sandwiches (and I love Bruce) : r/StupidFood
  • Does the maternal grooming of cattle clean bacteria from the coat of calves? - ScienceDirect
  • Cattle Water Troughs as Reservoirs of Escherichia coli O157 - PMC
  • Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Environments of Culture-Positive Cattle - PMC
  • An investigation of Escherichia coli O157 contamination of cattle during slaughter at an abattoir - PubMed
  • Reducing the Risks of Pathogenic E. Coli Infections
  • Trying to eat breakfast with Bruce! #cow #brucethecow #food #snack #fi... | cows | TikTok
May 27, 2024 /Don Schaffner
Cows, Cross-contamination, Aerosols, Airborne spread

DALL·E - someone holding a toothbrush over a flushing toilet

524. Keeping Your Toothbrush Less Than 6 Feet From Your Toilet

October 16, 2023 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from keeping your toothbrush less than 6 feet from your toilet.

Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼

  • Pop Quiz: How Much Do You Know About Dentistry?? - Montgomery Dentistry
  • toothbrush bathroom - Google Scholar
  • Assessment of microbial contamination of toothbrush head: An in vitro study Karibasappa G N, Nagesh L, Sujatha B K - Indian J Dent Res
  • Comparative study of bacteriological examination of daily use toothbrushes stored in the bathroom and room
  • Evaluation of relationship between toothbrush keeping place and its microbial content - Repository of Research and Investigative Information
  • Sheffield's Sweet Enough | Fizzy Drinks | Helpful Guides
  • hum Adult Smart Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush - Colgate
  • What's the Most Sanitary Way to Store Your Toothbrush? | SELF
  • Use & Handling of Toothbrushes | FAQs | Infection Control | Division of Oral Health | CDC
  • Draft Genome Sequence for Klebsiella michiganensis B199A, Originally Identified as Enterobacter aerogenes | Microbiology Resource Announcements
  • Klebsiella michiganensis sp. nov., A New Bacterium Isolated from a Tooth Brush Holder | SpringerLink


October 16, 2023 /Don Schaffner
Toilet, Cross-contamination, Aerosols

331. Sucking the Air Out of a Bag of Raw Chicken

July 22, 2022 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of sucking the air out of a bag of raw chicken with your mouth.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

  • Aerosol - Wikipedia
  • The straw method for vacuum sealing - General - Anova Community | Food Nerd Forum | Anova Culinary
  • Food Safety Talk 79: You’re Into Botulism Country (with Merlin Mann) — Food Safety Talk
  • Quantification of Microbial Aerosol Generation during Standard Laboratory Procedures | Applied Biosafety
July 22, 2022 /Don Schaffner
Chicken, Salmonella, Camylobacter, Aerosols

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