To feel ahead of the game with coronavirus (emetophobe)

[Haphazardhacker]

All this wash your hands, avoid touching knobs and what not. Any other emetophobes who have been doing this for years and think one positive of all this is people may actually start practising basic hygiene.
Also handy that I’ve got my standard stock of antiviral hand gels and clinell wipes than you can shake a stick at.
All this hysteria over it and I’m still more scared of noro than this.

Haha yes!!! I thought of starting a similar thread myself. It feels weird seeing mainstream panic when that's how I've lived my entire life. There are so many other steps you could take to ensure further reduction of risk...just washing hands is really not useful if that person is rubbing their face or using their phone. Here are other things that are obvious for emets:

• Never touch face when in public, no matter how much your eye/nose/mouth itches.

• Use keys to press lift buttons or feet to open doors if possible. If door handle/bus railing has to be touched by hands, hold it very low down or high up or in a place unlikely to be be touched by other people.

• Never hold food using bare hands in public regardless of whether it's been washed recently. You probably touched your phone or wallet in between which negates all of that.

• Disinfect phone, bag handles, steering wheel, pram bar regularly

• Wash long hair before going to bed. If someone sneezed on the tube then all those particles are stuck in your hair which gets rubbed all over your pillow if you don't wash it.

• Do not wear street clothes at home, especially trousers. If you've been sitting on a public bus seat, then that gets rubbed all over your own sofa.

• Only some types of disinfectant are effective against viruses. It has to say on the packaging. Get hospital grade anti-bac from the pharmacy instead of those flowery scented tubes from Victorias Secret.

• Supermarket trolley handles, bank machine buttons, toilet locks are also major germ hotspots. Disinfect hands after touching

And yes, would still rather get corona over noro anyday!

Haha glad it’s not just me. I do all of the above you listed. My colleagues and family are finally understanding what it’s like to live with emetophobia.