I can’t stop feeling anxious that I ate without washing my hands.

[mummabear1967]

Took DD for a McDonald’s this afternoon. I ordered our food using the touchscreen ordering system.

I did use hand sanitiser that they had sitting out, but I just completely forgot to wash my hands properly with water and soap in the bathrooms before I ate my food.

I know I’m being so stupid, but I can’t stop feeling anxious that I’m going to get coronavirus or another illness because I had touched the door handles and used the touchscreen and then ate without properly washing washing my hands.

Am i just overreacting?

In a word, yes.

Yes you are overreacting.

You washed away your grip by the sound of it.

You mustn’t have a lot going on in your life if you have this much time to worry about this.

Yes you are.
Do you experience generalised anxiety in the rest of your life?
I would try and address this before it escalates further.

I really think you will be ok. However it must be draining to think like this! do you get anxious like this all the time have you thought about going to the GP?

It will be ok, OP. People like me mostly forget to wash our hands almost all the time and extremely rarely get any kind of bug.

Seriously? Pull yourself together. You used sanitizer. If you felt worried enough about this to start a thread, firstly you need to get help for health anxiety and secondly, you must have very little happening in your life that this even registered.

Yes. I'm reasonably cautious about the virus but only 1 in 2,200 people in the UK have it at the moment so you'd have to be bloody unlucky to catch it especially as you used sanitizer.

You're not alone OP. I feel like this too. I just tell myself : there is absolutely nothing I can now do. Continue to live as healthily as I can, take vitamins and also consider that it's actually fairly unlikely to catch the virus like this. The numbers in the population are currently really quite low. Even if you do get it, your chances of survival are high and better every day as they find out more. You're not alone. X

Speaking as a nurse, hand sanitizer is just as effective as soap in dealing with almost all bacteria/viruses. It is the method of choice when the hands are visibly clean.

The screens are sanatised between each customer so you'll be fine.

...and yes, while PP's are frankly being pretty unkind in the way that they're phrasing it the level of anxiety you have expressed is not 'normal' so you may want to consider that you may have a form of anxiety and speak to a GP about it.

Best to nip these things in the bud as the longer you go without help, the harder it is to unpick your anxious thinking patterns.

I never wash my hands before eating. Not caught Covid.

@QuestionableMouse

The screens are sanatised between each customer so you'll be fine.

Now I'm tempted to go to a mcdonald's and watch if this truly is the case, as I am more than skeptic.... (don't even know where one is nearby as i hate them)

This is what the media has done, caused such anxiety. i catch myself feeling the same at times and try and let it go

@Goneback2school

Speaking as a nurse, hand sanitizer is just as effective as soap in dealing with almost all bacteria/viruses. It is the method of choice when the hands are visibly clean.

Focus on this op. You will be fine but I understand your concerns. DH was in a McD’s the other day (drive through was closed) & there was someone sanitising the screens between each person. Try not to worry.

I'd be more worried about eating a McDonalds tbh

Completely, there's not that much coronavirus in the general community at the moment, it's very unlikely you'll pick it up on this occasion, just generally be careful but don't make yourself ill over it

Are you for real? Please get yourself to see your GP for more medication for your severe anxiety.

@XDownwiththissortofthingX

I'd be more worried about eating a McDonalds tbh

100% this ^^

Probably.

Can't deny there is a risk because we know there is. But you sued sanitiser and were in McDonald's where people could have been breathing it anyway.

I don't know why people are being so harsh OP but I understand your anxiety. However you did sanitize so I'm sure you'll be fine. I always used to wash my hands before eating after watching those touch screens even before vivid because people are mongers and don't wash their hands after using the loo etc....

For God's sake apologies for all the typos. Wish they had an edit button.

The thing is, it's done now. You can't undo it, and worrying won't help, so try to just ride the anxiety out and let it pass. It will in time, if you give it a chance.

You are overreacting, but I don't think knowing that helps you at the moment! It's easy to get things out of proportion at the moment really.