As if you don’t have enough things to worry about, science is warning that flushing your toilet after use with the lid up can be fatal.
It’s not just the toilet seat you have to worry about -- this is the lid we’re talking about, the attached cover for where you had been seated doing your business.
The thing is, according to studies published in the American Journal of Infection Control, when you flush, a plume of mist arises from the bowl, and there is a possibility there could be fecal, urine or vomit bacteria among the moist molecules that go airborne that could land on your skin or clothing, potentially infecting your body and ending your life prematurely, all of which could be prevented by lowering the lid before twisting the handle.
Seriously, there is documented proof that the pathogens that cause Shigella, Salmonella and the like actually do become part of the aerosol that gently arises with a flush, and in extreme cases that could be fatal.
You probably thought the toilet lid was just there so no one could see your dirty toilet bowl. No, it goes much deeper than that. It’s there to save your life.