To ask if you are touching handrails etc. In public places

[Goldendream]

Or not due to risk of covid?

If I needed to hold them I would, there's no point in risking a fall.

No but I didn’t anyway. Apparently the dirtiest place in a public toilet is the door handle due to people who don’t wash their hands then touching it. No idea whether it’s an urbane myth but as soon as I heard it I couldn’t get it out of my head so no handles or stair rails for me thanks.

Mostly avoiding it. I use my elbow to press pedestrian crossing buttons and a sleeve / shoulder to open doors. Tbh I've never touched handles at work, I had so much illness when my dc's were little that I got scared of losing my job and did everything to avoid touching things.

Although, I am literally just off to do some outdoor gym equipment and I'll have to do some of it without gloves, I'll have my hand sanitizer with me though 🤷‍♀️. Swings and roundabouts.

What

Of course I touch doors, hand rails, buttons on lifts. Not caught anything at all in the many many many years.

Ive only every seen the craziness on here (MN)

Yes, and I pay attention to my hand hygiene to mitigate the risk of doing so.

Not at all, but I never have done! In a public loo, I always use a tissue to open the doors and then discard. I never touch handrails unless desperate, ditto escalator rails, and use my elbow on lift buttons, etc.

I use handrails if going down stairs. One tumble down and landing on my face is quite enough in one lifetime, thanks. I certainly do not want a repeat performance.

I didn't touch things like that pre covid tbh. Especially handrails in places like car parl stair wells as people wee down them at night!

I do touch things when I need to , hand rails on stairs / buses , lift buttons , trolley handles etc.
I wash my hands or use sanitizer when I need to but not excessively.
For them that say they use their gloves and tissues do you change them every time you touch a different object ? For me that just would not be practical (or good for the environment )
I would have to change my gloves about a dozen times a day also if you use a tissue even if you do use a new one every time what do you do with the used one when you can not find a bin ?
If you put it back in your pocket you will , in theory transfer Covid to the inside of your pocket then back on to your hands .
Even if you put it in a bag in your pocket you will of touched the outside of the bag and have the same issue.

The amount of people I see handling things that could be contaminated while wearing gloves then handling there phone / cash cards / house keys etc makes me wonder what magical properties they think the gloves have

Keep it simple , wash your hands for 40 seconds with soap and water ( not just wet your finger tips like some people think is ok ) if no soap and water is available then use high alcohol sanitizer.

I touch everything.
I’m not living my life in fear.
That’s no life

This.

It never occurred to me not to.

I am avoiding touching all of it, anything on busses/trains, crossings I use my elbow to press the button, I don’t touch handrails. I’m not ‘living my life in fear’ It’s purely factual- why touch it all if you don’t need to?

I’ve never liked touching surfaces - have always washed my hands as soon as I got to the office after having to hold tube rails. I avoid as much as possible and then wash/sanitise my hands afterwards if I have touched anything.

Forgot to mention, I caught whooping cough on the train several years ago which is what made me cautious. Horrible illness!

Nope. But I never touch them unless I have to anyway.

I was really careful at the start but now I realise I go to the supermarket and obviously touch things, my children are in school all day and touch things, my husband is at work and touches things so am more relaxed.
I sanitise my hands when I get in the car after shopping etc and wash my hands as soon as I get home from being out anywhere.

Yes. I have physical co-ordination difficulties, and need to use handrails to avoid falling. I am very Covid-averse, but I am even more falling-averse! I do wash my hands as soon as possible afterwards; and I try to avoid extremely crowded places where massive numbers will have touched things.

No, I don't touch any handrails, haven't for years....long before COVID came about. There was a study I read about that took samples from surfaces such as escalator rails, trains (especially handles on the tube) and so on, and the dreadful germs and such that could be found on them.

I always used gloves but now, with COVID, I quite openly use blue vinyl PPE gloves....door handles, stair rails, gates, push-button traffic crossings...everything. Sometimes I get a look form someone in the street but no-one has ever commented directly. I use a new, clean pair of gloves for every visit and then dispose of them, even between shops; for instance if I have been to the supermarket pushing a trolley and then go somewhere else (eg. petrol station)….new gloves every time.

I personally feel happier and safer, I am not hurting anyone and I just think it's cleaner. Everyone else can think what they like....

handrails, yes. Other things not unless I have to. But thats not a covid thing it's a things are dirty thing.

I use hand rails or I would probably end up with something broken again!!!!!. I use elbow for lift buttons or just sanitise my hands after touching anything. I now get through a fair bit of hand sanitiser now it's more readily available. I was a bit naive about how many people washed their hands after using the loo before especially men so I have been told and will be carrying a bottle of sanitiser for the forseeable future.

I did always carry a packet of hand wipes in my bag before but feel like putting one of those dettol ones for kitchens in my bag now.

I am using hand rails where necessary, but using hand gel straight after. I was in a cafe the other day for over an hour and they didn't clean the rail once despite several people using it and guidelines being for regular cleaning of touch points. I am pressing buttons for crossings or PIN's, but always use hand gel afterwards.

These are all known danger areas, so just seems common sense to gel afterwards.

I'm touching things, I don't even think about it.

Absolutely yes, how ridiculous 🤣

I've always avoided handrails...covid hasn't changed that. My trick is to hover my hand over the handrail so I can grab it if I have to.

People as a group are gross so I've always tried not to touch high contact areas in public.

Yep.
I just wash my hands when I get home and don’t touch my face.
I get four buses a day, I would go mad if I worried about it that much.