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 Declare Germ Warfare!

Declare Germ Warfare!
Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   high interest, readability grades 4 to 5
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   3.09

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    downward, naturally, greatly, harmless, running, defend, health, prepare, seconds, often, drain, such, onto, palms, cause, against

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Declare Germ Warfare!
By Patti Hutchison 		  
1     What have you touched today? Did you play with your dog? Did you take out the garbage? Have you used the bathroom? We touch things all day long without even thinking about it. Now think about this: how many times have you washed your hands today?
 
2     No matter what you touched today, you came into contact with germs. Everyone has millions of these "bugs" on their hands. Most are harmless, but some can make you very sick. They cause illnesses such as colds, flu, and stomach problems. How can you defend yourself against these enemies? Wash your hands.
 
3     Did you know that most cold germs are not spread through the air? They are spread when someone touches their own nose, mouth, or eye after touching someone who is sick. You can also get colds by touching something a sick person has touched.
 
4     Children miss over twenty thousand school days each year just because of colds. According to most health experts, this number could be reduced greatly. If people washed their hands correctly and more often, there would be less illness.
 
5     When should you wash your hands? Naturally, if they look dirty, you should wash them. But even if they don't look dirty, there are germs on them. You should always wash your hands after using the bathroom.

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