Hygiene and Prevention: A Care That Goes Beyond the Gym

Reading the report about the incident that occurred at the gym made me reflect on the importance of hygiene and prevention, not only in these spaces, but in all the places we frequent. Gyms, shopping malls, public restrooms, food courts, public transportation, all are environments with high traffic, where the risk of contact with microorganisms is always present.

In the specific case of the gym, the fungal infection may have been the result of a common oversight: direct contact with equipment without proper sanitization. However, this situation is not restricted to this environment. Throughout the day, we touch various surfaces, bring our hands to our faces without realizing it, and often ignore small signs from our bodies.

We can call this episode a preventable incident because, although the contamination was unexpected, simple practices, such as cleaning the equipment before use and taking care to avoid scratching or touching wounds with dirty hands, could have significantly reduced the chances of exposure to the fungus.
This reinforces the need to incorporate preventive habits into our routine. Washing our hands regularly, avoiding touching our eyes and mouth, carrying alcohol gel for situations where it is not possible to clean our hands with soap and water, and being aware of any changes in our skin are fundamental attitudes.

The environment can, indeed, pose risks, but it is up to us to minimize them with small changes in behavior. After all, prevention is not restricted to a specific place, but to a habit that protects us in our daily lives.