Are you still wiping groceries?

[Lovely1a2b3c]

Just that! We have been wiping food shopping items as some of the family are vulnerable (not shielding) but wondering if it's time to stop?

Never did

I never did, I dont wash hands other than after the toilet or before eating either.

Yes, washing everything I can of fridge/fresh/perishable things. Putting cans and packets and toiletries etc away in their bags for 3 days before handling.

Nope. Never have and don't intend to start.

Just wash your hands.

I never did. Even bought a bottle of water from a shop several times and drunk from it without wiping.

Haven't done this at any point

That said, I don't think you're being unreasonable. You do whatever makes you feel safe

Yes still am. It’s a right faff but I don’t feel like I can stop yet

Never wiped them. Even less likely to since I tested positive for antibodies last week.

Nope.

To be perfectly honest i don't wash fruit either. We open our post, and we have take-aways.

6 adults and 1 child living here. That's lots of shopping, lots of post, lots of take-aways and lots of fruit.

My youngest is 6 - the world has gone weird enough without her seeing me start to wash shopping.

As they say though; you do you :)
......but why are people using anit bacterial wipes for a virus?

Yes, spraying all shopping with Dettol and wiping. It's reducing me to tears the time it takes.

Yes. I'd love to stop it as it's a total faff. But we're pretty cautious. We also wipe down packages, mail, etc.

I haven’t wiped a single grocery since the start. We also don’t wash parcels or wear face masks or gloves. I live with my daughter who is a front line nurse so I would expect any virus by that route not via my shopping x

No, I don't wipe anything down. We've had parcels delivered, opened post and just put the shopping away as usual.

However, we don't have health conditions and aren't particularly vulnerable, so I've not been overly cautious aside from keeping the DC away from shops/people etc. I keep hand sanitiser everywhere, and used it today after a trip to Halfords and left the products in the boot of my car where they'll stay til I need them. I wouldn't judge anyone unkindly who did need to wipe their shopping down - everyone has to do what's best for them.

wipe down fridge and freezer goodies ... the remainder has 72 hours in isolation.

The other day while i was driving along the road a saw a postman with a letter in his mouth while sorting through the pile in his hands. You might want to re-think washing your hands after touching things from outside of your home.

But that doesn’t even bother me - seriously. I don’t care if a post man briefly has a letter in his mouth whilst ruffling through other letters because I don’t see it is a big risk. I certainly don’t spend my days worrying that if I touch an envelope that a postman had gritted between his teeth for a few moments then I’m going to contract the plague from him.

I think when it comes to medical staff we are either completely hysterical and hypochondriacs when it comes to things like this, or we are quite laid back at it all because we have a different sense of perspective.

In the 12 years of my career I absolutely dread to think of the number of nasty viruses and germs that I’ve come into contact with so a little bit of a postman’s saliva on my letter certainly isn’t something I feel the need to concern myself about.

But like I said, each to their own.

Queenofprinces I'm medical staff too, my attitude is virtually similar to you! I wouldn't get bothered by it either, acquired immunity and all that.

I too have probably been exposed to a ton of pathogens as well (ITU staff), follow strict infection precautions at work of course. I can't bring myself to get worked up imagining all the various microscopic hazards on my letters, that way madness lies.

Yes, still wiping groceries, post, deliveries and items I've taken outside the home that I want to use indoors (keys, phone) with a mix of disinfectant and soapy water.

Using reusable & washable cloths because a) anti bac wipes aren't very environmentally friendly b)would need 10s of wipes on a weekly shop and they are expensive c) its almost impossible to get wipes in the shops d) soap seems to be more recommended against the virus anyway.

yes we're wiping down the fresh food (with soapy water - not using wipes) and leaving the longer life items for 3 days before unpacking and putting away. I'm vulnerable but not shielding. I agree with people that said the risk is low, but anything that reduces the risk further is worth doing as far as I am concerned. I think we'll be doing this long term now. I am very worried what the impact of the virus would be on my long term health.

The thing that I question is when does all this cleaning the shopping and quarantining it, as well as cleaning phones, keys, post etc actually stop?

At what point are people going to say “Right, the risk is really low now so I don’t need to do this anymore”?

My worry is that people who are going to this extreme will never be able to bring themselves to stop doing it.

We have dropped to Level 3, it is thought risk of infection is very low, lock down is lessening, schools are back, shops are open, workplaces are open, public transport is normalising, sport is taking place again etc etc so as life returns to normal, at what point do people realise they too have to return to normal and stop washing and quarantining their food?

Im not saying this in a goading or judgemental way - I’m just genuinely concerned about the extreme anxiety/paranoia that this virus seems be causing some people and the impact it will have on their behaviour and mental health.

No, I never did. It was utterly ridiculous for the most part, and completely ineffective. I even heard of people running a bath and washing their weeks shopping in it.

Never have done. I'm a front line nurse, looking after both covid positive and negative patients. None of the family or myself have been ill at all and I have had the antibody test which is negative. We wash our hands whenever we can (or alcohol gel as a temporary measure). If I do wipe anything down ( seperate to my normal cleaning routine)I use a bleach based product as that's what we use in the hospital ward cleaning. I don't use antibacterial wipes because it's a virus not a bacteria.

I wouldn't say wiping the shopping you can with soapy water or leaving non-perishables in a bag for a few days is extreme anxiety or paranoia. It's just a way of further minimising risk - albeit small in the first place. A small additional step that you can take - if you want to and you have the time. If it gives extra peace of mind, then why not? If it seems unnecessary to you, then don't do it.

Honestly there’s a lot of loons on here.
Look at the facts- virus levels outside of hospitals and care homes nearly zero.
Chances of dying of breast cancer in the 10s of 000s of percentages higher. We could all have double mastectomies to help eradicate Breast cancer but we don’t because it would be madness on an epic scale.
So stop being mental and just put your fucking shopping away. Do though give fruit and veg a wash to get rid of the residual crap and waxes.
Stop being so frightened. Reclaim your lives.
Cuddle your children. Walk on the foot path and smile at passers by.
There is no chance of Catching the virus from someone else passing on the street.
Send your children back to school. They will NOT get Corona virus and die. If you think they will you are a loon.

Lovely northern, really lovely.