We’re exposed to a variety of viruses and bacteria when we’re in and out of high school gyms, handling basketballs, shaking hands, and putting whistles in and out of our mouths when we’re officiating. Viruses such as the flu or the common cold can be spread in an airborne fashion or by touching something that has been touched by someone with a virus or, by being sneezed or coughed on. Bacteria can be spread similarly but have much less chance of survival outside the human body than a virus. There are plenty of risks that we can become ill.

Here are some of those risks and what we can do about them.

Health risks from bacteria

Of serious concern is MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). MRSA is a form of staph bacteria that has become resistant to many antibiotics that are commonly used to treat ordinary staph infections. A MRSA infection can make you very sick, and in some cases it has even been fatal. The good news is that the more virulent strain of MRSA is far less common. MRSA can be spread by skin-to-skin contact and is especially worrisome if the bacteria gets into an exposed cut. Keep in mind that often basketball players get a cut and maybe put a Band-aid over it, but that may or may not be sufficient protection for people who come into contact with them. Fortunately, properly washing your hands can provide protection

Protection against cold and flu

Hand washing is a good practice. Considering all the contact you have with the basketball, your whistle, and other people during the course of a typical game, you should wash your hands thoroughly before the game, at halftime, and after the game. Your whistle is a particularly nasty germ carrier, so get into the habit of cleaning and sanitizing your whistle. One effective way to do so is to get a bottle of isopropyl alcohol and douse your whistle or let your whistle soak in alcohol. Be sure to let the whistle air-dry completely before you use it again, because you don’t want to have alcohol in your system when you go out on the court. If you don’t have enough time to let your whistle air-dry in this manner, then just clean your whistle with an alcohol wipe, but still be sure to let your whistle air-dry.

Hand washing: Soap vs. Sanitizers

The fact is, washing hands is a double-edged sword. Our hands have a natural protective layer which could be washed away. In fact, in medical school, we used to do a demonstration whereby someone would put an unwashed hand on a petri dish and then wash the hand and put that on another petri dish. Then within 48 hours we would bring the two petri dishes out of incubation. Every time we did so, the result was that the unwashed hand had far less bacteria than the washed hand.

Some individuals have far stronger natural immunities than others and rarely if ever get sick. If you are one of those, I don’t advocate washing your hands so much as that would make you more vulnerable. If you have weaker immunities, then I recommend hand washing. A better choice is using Purell, which is an alcohol based cleanser that dries fast. It does a good job of getting rid of most viruses and bacteria, which is why you see it in so many hospitals and doctors’ offices.

The pros and cons of getting a flu shot

Flu vaccines are designed to counteract what we believe to be the most prevalent type of flu virus that’s out there. But there may be other strains of flu for which the shot may or may not work. The jury is still out on whether people should or should not get a flu shot. I have to get the shot because the hospitals I work in require staff to do so. I would recommend a flu shot for people who are at greater risk – such as the elderly and others with weaker immunities and are more susceptible to getting sick. For others with stronger immunities, it might not be necessary. It’s a decision you will have to make for yourself. If you choose to get a flu shot, keep in mind that the protection lasts for a limited time. Flu season is in full force usually from the end of December and lasting through January and February. The closer you wait until the start of flu season to get your shot, the greater the protection.

What you can do if you get a cold or the flu?

The flu is a much more serious affliction than a common cold. With a cold, you may have sniffles and other discomfort, but usually you won’t have a fever. Various over-the-counter remedies won’t cure the cold (there is no cure) but they could make you more comfortable. Flu, however, can really knock you off your feet, with high fever, congestion and weakness, etc. You can take fever reducers such as Tylenol, but they won’t do anything to combat the virus itself. You have to try and ride it out. Drink lots of fluids – preferably clear liquids -- and don’t drink anything with caffeine. Your body needs a lot of rest if you’re going to get better, and caffeine will just keep you up. I would take vitamin C, either from orange juice or something similar, or in the form of a vitamin tablet. Much of the medical community thinks Vitamin C is helpful. It certainly can’t hurt.

NOTE: If you are starting to feel better, don’t think that is a green light to get back on the court and resume officiating. You will not be at the top of your game physically, and you risk infecting others. So get completely well, and only then resume your game schedule.

Just try to minimize your risks and take the precautions I described above. Whether you end up getting sick during the season or sail through the season in perfect health may be a matter of chance, but if you follow these recommendations you could put the odds more in your favor.