4 How Germs Spread

How Germs Spread

Too Small to See Think of the smallest thing you can see. What is it? Can you imagine something even smaller? Germs are so itty-bitty that we can't see them with our eyes alone. Yet, they are everywhere around us!

Meet the Germs Let's meet three main types of germs. Hello, I'm a virus. Stay back, or you might get sick! Howdy! I'm a fungus. Some fungi are small like me, but my mushroom friends are huge! Hello! I'm a bacterium (bak-TEER-ee-uhm). Most of my bacteria friends are good, but some are bad.

All over the Place These little germs are everywhere around us. Some are on top of our desks. Others are on the door handles we touch. Anything you can think of probably has germs on it! Don't worry, though. You can still touch most things. Many of the germs around us are actually harmless. They never cause you problems. You're safe with us!

Feeling Unwell What about the not-so-good germs? If those icky germs get into our bodies, they can make us feel sick. Germs can make you sneeze or have a runny nose. Some can make your stomach upset. They may even make your skin feel itchy. A rash caused by chicken pox Have you heard of chicken pox? Sorry, one of my virus friends causes that!

In the Air There are many different ways germs can spread. One way is through the air that we breathe. When we take air into and push it out of our bodies, we also breathe germs in and out. This is because germs can get into the air after we cough or sneeze. One big sneeze can shoot out germs not only from our mouths but also from our noses. Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue before you cough or sneeze.