To not go to fitness class when coach has sick kid and has spent hours cleaning it up...

No wonder so many people catch norovirus, its clear that many people have no idea how infectious it is and think you can just rely on will power.

Wow you really are a delight. Don't judge everyone by your own standards

Erm no. I NEED to exercise everyday for my mental health but even I wouldn't go. No way. I would find something else to do for the next few days.

Assume that you would feel.the same if you found out I was in your gym class (or sitting next to you on the bus or in a supermarket or at the next table in a restaurant)

Yes you absolutely can go to.the class. The risk from your health anxiety is greater than the risk from the actual germs.

She didn't say that. She asked if she should go to the class not if the person running it should be there.

Last year DH worked a shift with a guy whose toddler had been ill with D&V. A couple of days later, DH came down with a horrendous sickness bug, which he then gave to me.

When DH went back to work, he learned that Typhoid Mark had taken out three other colleagues, plus his own mother.

So, no, I wouldn’t go to the class in your position 😬

Currently working as a carer in a nursing home - we have a noro outbreak & I'm currently working with the affected clients who are isolated to stop the spread. Have to deal with a fair bit of sick!

Am I literally not allowed out in public?

I'm not sick myself & I wash my hands & change clothes.

Don't go to gym classes but didn't cross my mind I might be banned.

I wouldn't go.

The only way you would catch it is if the instructor still had sick particles on her hands, so hasn't washed or had a shower in the time between cleaning up sick and touching the weights, then transferred the sick particles to the weights, then you touching the weights and the sick particles transferring from the weights to your hands, then you putting your hands in your mouth before you wash them.

Sick bugs are transferred from the touch to oral route. Her incubating a potential bug is not going to be transmitted to you just by being in the same space.

Saying that, I do understand the fear. Have had bouts of severe phobia myself. However since having a DC who is extremely prone to catching sick bugs (think 12 in the last 3.5 years), this intensive exposure therapy does seem to have lessened my anxiety somewhat. I do still have my routines and rituals for dealing with it. But these are based on fact and logic (isolating the toilet DC uses, lots of bleach on all surfaces, etc) and touch wood these have meant none of the rest of us have caught them.

You know nothing about this person. I'd not go either OP but I'd go for the run instead.

Lighten up!

Will you enjoy the class if you are worrying about bugs? Because if not then it is a bit pointless going.

I would go but I am not you.

You’ve been lucky 🙈 i had twins when my older DD was only 20 months old - and they got them again and again after they started nursery. Even now, if someone in the family is sick, I shout “wash your hands!” before offering comfort and then run for the Dettol and isolate that bathroom. I didn’t care about bugs of any kind before though, so might a little OTT on that based on experience!

It's not in saliva unless someone's just vomited. Viral particles from a vomit plume can be in hair, clothes, on objects, transferred from hands etc. It only takes a few teeny particles to spread. Antibacterials don't work (some antivirals / bleach does) and it survives on surfaces for days and days, sometimes weeks.

You are being completely OTT. You have no idea how many other people in the class have sick children, partners etc or are hospital nurses, health care workers etc. If you are all using the same equipment you are far more likely to catch something from one of the other attendees rather than the coach who will be far more conscious of cleaning their hands before touching anything.

Providing you don’t snog them I think you’ll be ok. I would just hang nearer the back of the class. When I go to yoga I’m at least 25 foot from the instructor. Wash your hands after. I think you’ll be fine.

I wouldn't go, OP. I'd go for that run! There's a reason why there's a 48 hour rule in schools. Some of these bugs are massively infectious.

To be fair the instructor isn't ill, they've just been exposed to a poorly child,

I have 3 DC and haven't caught every sickness bug each of them have had!

I have emetophobia so it would be a hard no from me, but I know I don't think rationally about anything vomit related.

I've had therapy (and I am loads better than I used to be believe it or not!) but I still wouldn't go.

I would not go. I am slightly traumatised by my experience of vomiting bugs though as when my DC were young, they kept getting them - but one after the other, which seems to go on for quite a while with three under 3, and then I would get it too, usually while still cleaning one of the ill ones up 🤢

I hate people now who casually mention that they have had vomiting or diarrhoea (or their DC have) when you are already with them. My MIL was a recent example, when we were already at her house for dinner and she casually mentioned that she had been on the loo all day with it 💩 So, I don’t think your instructor should even go ahead with the class!

The anticipation of maybe catching it was horrible.

Do you suffer from severe anxiety OP?

Surely having children yourself you know that there are always bugs going around, and pretty much everyone with kids or who is around them (teachers, parents, childminders, swimming teachers, tutors etc etc) will be exposed at some point or another. Why would you spend time anticipating catching what is just a minor bug?

@Theweekjr wtf?! You don't know the OP from a hole in the ground

OP I would give it a miss. That's probably because we've been utterly ground down by bugs non-stop since October, including noro over Christmas. It's just not worth it.

I wouldn’t because I’d rather avoid getting a vomiting bug. It’s just one class. Not worth the risk imo.