You’re rolling the dice whenever you use a public bathroom. Some places, like museums, art galleries, or fancy restaurants, you can generally rely on for clean and unstinky facilities. In bars, on public transport, and at gas stations? Good luck and godspeed!
But, if this viral TikTok video is anything to go by, we should be concerned by more than just smelly drains and blocked toilets. 20-year-old TikToker m4r5hi (Mars) posted a video entitled “Stop pooping in public bathrooms!!”, then laid out a horror story more terrifying than anything Hollywood could concoct:
In an impressively open discussion of something most people would keep private, she discusses her recurring C. diff (Clostridioides difficile) infection, which she has been trying to live with for around 18 months.
She also has Mycoplasma hominis, a bacterial infection. She’s had to live with vomiting and diarrhea – “and I’m talking like, insane diarrhea” – and pooping strange-smelling poops ten times a day. Because of this, Mars has also developed PoTS (postural tachycardia syndrome), which means you feel lightheaded or dizzy when standing up.
Pooperama
Now for the public safety message. Before her C.diff infection was confirmed, Mars was, understandably, behaving “completely normal”. She was using swimming pools, public bathrooms, and was “s***ting all over the place”. C.diff is incredibly infectious and transmits easily, meaning anyone who happened to come into contact with her may have also contracted it.
The whole situation sounds extraordinarily miserable, and Mars underlines that even if she recovers, she’ll have “irreversible damage” to her guts. The message: “This is a reminder, wash your hands, if you have diarrhea stay home and don’t go swimming, if you take antibiotics, please be careful who and what you’re around, bleach your surface, and stop sharing things with people.”
The replies sound nervous, full of people telling others to wash their hands after using the bathroom – and to really wash your hands, not just run them under the tap. Others say they had no idea C.diff could be this serious, and medical professionals confirming they take the chance of infection deadly seriously.
So be careful out there. You don’t need to stop using public bathrooms altogether but try to find a clean bathroom if possible. And once again, WASH YOUR HANDS! PROPERLY! I know some of you don’t bother and just stroll happily out of the bathroom without a care in the world. You know who you are – we’re all grossed out at you!
