We live in a world of bacteria and virus. Why are we all not dead yet?
Having been exposed to to all these little buggies all our lives we gain a certain amount of immunity from them.
Are there any more germs on the floor then the counter top? Maybe a few but not many. While I would not want to eat off a floor, I would be more worried about the food picking up bits of dirt or dust (because of the taste then I worry about picking up a germ).
If people have not noticed, babies live on the floors of our homes and will put any and all things in their mouths. Most survive this time of their life (and may in fact get their immunity from these little explorations).
i agree that childern who aren’t “hovered over” and eat some dirt and stuff gain some immunities and are less likely to develop allergies.
also the 5 second rule is proportional to the cost of the food dropped. truffles and saaffron can stay on the ground much longer. saffron, for example, is $2400+ a pound so it can safely stay on the floor for hours.