Are we all living this way or have I gone mad?!

[stardrops007]

Okay, so I'm not sure if I've just lost touch with normality here or if actually I'm living the "new normal"

Today was the first time in months that I met indoors with a friend (I know )

It was in the centre so I had to pay for parking, I found myself using a wipe to touch the parking meter.
Before entering the restaurant I sanitised my hands, once in the restaurant I sanitised my hands as I'd touched the chair before sitting down and became aware of possible contamination!

We then ordered a drink and I found myself sanitising again as I'd touched the glass.

We were there for two hours and I just couldn't stop sanitising.

I've come home and taken off all my clothes to wash them straight away.

My friend only sanitised before eating, but I noticed she'd touched the chair and other surfaces a lot!!!

Am I being OTT? Or is my friend quite relaxed?

@coldwarenigma

I haven't read the full thread but it did strike me that while many are saying it is OTT I do wonder if the paranoia over sanitising and distancing and the way the virus was published is going to leave many children with OCD and social anxiety issues in the future.

I believe it will. They learn a lot by observation. If they see parents in this state, it will have impact on them.

Also agree with pp who mentionedd superbugs.

I am paranoid about cleaning hands at the best of times but it's even gone too far for me.

I do wonder if we will breed a whole new host of mutant bugs as we are killing all the "healthy" bacteria.

@hammeringinmyhead

How long are you going to live like this? Years? I use sanitiser but I'm not carrying around a full place setting and weeing in a bush for the next year.

This is when there ought to be a “like” button.

Love this. But that’s sort of where I’m at with this whole thing. Apart from the cutlery....I haven’t eaten out yet.

I think you are being a bit OTT if I'm honest. I just sanitise before leaving the car, when entering shops (if HS provided) and when back in car. I don't wash my clothes as soon as I get in either. I just wash my hands.

I have always sanitized my hand after touching certain public things, like parking meters, door handles in malls,....
I went to Waterstones today, had a lovely and informative (and long) chat with a very knowledgeable employee, had to touch a lot of books. sanitized before (i used a parking meter) and when I came out, before touching my car.
I think that that is absolutely enough.

On the other hand I wouldn't want to drink from anything that someone else touched. Given how I am not a drinker and don't use coffee shops that hasn't changed a bit due to covid :)

Thanks all. 🙂

You know, I have learned to unclench. i have been very good those past months, followed all guidelines.
And yet I caught it last Saturday doing necessary grocery shopping, with a mask. But an old cunt decided to cough in the queue to pay, without his mask. I am sure that shitstain had a great excuse for not wearing it, obviously...
So yeah, relax a bit, some anti-masker is going to come your way anyway...

You’re being OTT

@OfaFrenchmind2

You know, I have learned to unclench. i have been very good those past months, followed all guidelines. And yet I caught it last Saturday doing necessary grocery shopping, with a mask. But an old cunt decided to cough in the queue to pay, without his mask. I am sure that shitstain had a great excuse for not wearing it, obviously... So yeah, relax a bit, some anti-masker is going to come your way anyway...

@OfaFrenchmind2 urgh! Do you think you caught it from him?

I've seen several people in supermarkets without masks!

I think you're going ott.
I met a friend for lunch last week. We sat outside, diagonally opposite each other.
Sanitised hands on arrival. Restaurant had paper menus, and staff were in masks, keeping 2m away.
I felt quite happy with the situation. When I got home I washed my hands thoroughly.

I just sanitised going in and out of shops. Wash my hands when I get in

I don't really know anyone whos still following social distancing etc tbh

@OfaFrenchmind2

You know, I have learned to unclench. i have been very good those past months, followed all guidelines. And yet I caught it last Saturday doing necessary grocery shopping, with a mask. But an old cunt decided to cough in the queue to pay, without his mask. I am sure that shitstain had a great excuse for not wearing it, obviously... So yeah, relax a bit, some anti-masker is going to come your way anyway...

Is it as bad as we fear?

In answer to your question, no, we're not all living that way.

I've always washed my hands through the day anyway so am just doing the same as normal. I'm also cautious about over-cleansing as I think our immune systems need bacteria and viruses to work properly.

No. I comply with shops/places that ask me to sanitise hands on entering/leaving, but otherwise I just wash my hands when I get home, after using the toilet and before eating. All of which I was doing before covid19 anyway.

I'm also cautious about over-cleansing as I think our immune systems need bacteria and viruses to work properly

This is what I say to myself when I see that the blue cloth in the kitchen has gone grey because I haven't changed it for 3 months

Well, in a way it's ott and in a way it's verging on risky imho OP. I mean, transmission through touching surfaces in a restaurant following COVID secure guidance has not been shown to be a significant route of transmission. However, sitting in a room for more than 15 minutes with people talking and facing each other without masks (because eating) is one of the more significant risks, as transmission is through aerosols - however, the restaurant will have spaced you, ventilated etc and background music kept low to mitigate loud talking. So it's not unreasonable to go out for a meal at the moment, and not a high risk, but for someone taking such excessive precautions in touching surfaces it is a bit odd to nevertheless choose to eat out. Just chill a bit on the sanitising.

@Thanksitsgotpockets

Today I've been for breakfast, been to the loo at the cafe, litter picked on the beach, sunbathed in the garden.

I've washed my hands after using the loo.

Not even after picking up litter on the beach??

I work in a school as admin and I am
Sanitising my hands literally every time I leave my office and start touching anything. I am wiping down my desk, chair, mouse keyboard, phone , visitors chairs, door handles twice a day....

No this is not normal. I just wash my hands as and when I would always have done.

No..so.far I havent sanitised anything, ex cept using the obligatory dispenser when going into shops, on the ferry. I wash my hands when I get home, but otherwise no doorknobs no groceries, no phones. Nada. Im.going to infected.by my.teenagers, not.by some doorknob.

Living in London I have been exposed to.all the virus that could.have been thrown at me over last.few months, I see no point being worried about the multiple ways I am daily exposed to it, and that is with sdng, limited outings, little shopping. It is not going to get me via a surface or it would have already...

I have never used hand sanitiser. Wash hands, don't touch face in between. Simple.

What is going to be the longterm consequence of using all this sanitiser?

Thisismytimetoshine the virus?
I am quite young still and fit (-ish) with no pre-existing condition, so it was mostly one week of low fever, some muscles and head aches, and tiredness. Could have been worse, but still galling to get it like that. I was supposed to meet friends with less hardy health on the day I started to have fever, luckily it was cancelled. I would have felt very guilty if I gave it to them.

@Sarahandco

What is going to be the longterm consequence of using all this sanitiser?

Probably the next pandemic, a superbacteria which will have a death rate MUCH higher than 0.2-0.6%