Do I need to be worried?

[SpinCycling]

Went to McDonald's yesterday evening.
Got handed the meal at the drive through window.
Realised too late that one of the straws had fresh blood on it.
Is there any risk to health? Should I complain?

Plenty, which is why people are asking you questions.
Did you see an open wound on the server’s hand?
Did you use the straw in question?
Do you have any cuts on the hand you used to handle the straw?
Was the blood fresh or dried?

The Googling you’ve done is about whether you’ve had contact with the blood: ie, whether it got into your bloodstream somehow. This can be through a open wound on your hands or whether you used the straw and ingested some blood etc.

I’d be icked out and probably would be put off my Maccy Dees lol

Not to sound alarmist or anything but Morgan Spurlock is dead (53).

He ate MacDonalds... just saying.

You’re incredibly rude, yet expecting people to bend over backwards for your irrational anxiety?

Go phone 111 if you’re that worried and stop talking to people like crap.

You're welcome. The straw wrapper definitely would have acted as a barrier and as you say, nothing visible on the straw. You will honestly be fine. I am certain of it. And importantly... did you win anything good on the Monopoly promotion? 😉

I don’t know why many people are being so unkind and unhelpful here. I could relate the panic. But I think some infectious diseases are transmitted from blood stream to blood stream not from blood to mouth. But worth checking with your doctor…

I have health anxiety so I do understand but I don't think you should worry. Try to think it through and imagine what a GP would think if you told them this....kindly, they'd think you were bonkers :). I'm not being mean...it helps me a lot when people laugh at me because then I know I'm being daft.

You are fine...don't spoil your evening worrying about this.

She had zero contact with any blood, she has said this twice. What is there to ask a doctor?

She’s worried apparently otherwise wouldn’t be asking and googling here. As we all know blood can carry a lot of infectious diseases, what is so wrong about asking a GP if the OP is so worried?!

You are spiralling a bit here, but if you have health anxiety I can see why, especially with google giving you all sorts of scary information.

You will be absolutely fine. It was only the wrapper that had blood on it, the straw itself didn't. I'd guess that the blood was nearly dry anyway so not dangerous at all since you don't have open wounds on your hands yourself.

Wash your hands thoroughly and try to rationalise it. Not easy with health anxiety, as I think no matter what any of us says you will not be satisfied with our reassurance. But I hope you are just the same.

Good luck getting a GP appointment for that.

Must have missed the promotion! @Arlanymor. I think the fact the wrapper is very thin and made of paper isn't helping.

I think some infectious diseases are transmitted from blood stream to blood stream not from blood to mouth.

That's a good point. @Anusername

It has helped rationalize things a bit @inaminn. Tried not to think about it yesterday, but have been feeling quite under the weather today which has triggered the spiral.

I wonder if the responses might have been different if I had said a waiter in the Savoy served me something with blood on it...
I am not a frequent visitor to "Macky Dees".

Because she didn’t have contact with any blood, she needed reassurance off here because she has health anxiety, not to speak to a doctor about the blood. She has not had any contact with any blood.

No they wouldn’t not have been different if it was the savoy or anywhere else, because you did not have any contact with any blood. Hopefully you have found reassurance anyway.

You absolutely do not need treatment. Despite the scaremongering it’s quite hard to catch HIV.

you probably feel rundown today because you ate shit food from McDonalds and it’s flu season or you’re literally worrying yourself sick

Do you work at McDonald's? @ToKittyornottoKitty

I did actually use one of the straws that had blood on the outside. My worry is that it could have gone through the very thin paper wrapping, into the drink, then into my mouth. That would be contact with blood and potential diseases.

Thankfully it looks like I have nothing to worry about. I wouldn't be bothering a GP anyway.

Why on earth would you use the straw especially if you have health anxiety you can't have been that concerned

Doesn't seem to be. Its not a medical emergency OP. You didn't use the straw no harm done.

Says somebody with absolutely no idea about health anxiety @youalright.

I have severe diagnosed health anxiety i would of thrown the whole thing away as its not a risk no matter how irrational I would take

That’s such a random question. I get your worry, and as people have pointed out, there is nothing to worry about. It’s nothing to do with what type of restaurant it is.

Now I know you're just on the wind up @youalright.

You seriously can’t be so unaware of how bloodbourne diseases work while also claiming to have health anxiety.

You seem to either just want a fight, tbf number is a good place for that, or for some one to tell you you’re now riddled with the AIDs. I take prep daily and happy to spare some to ease your mind about the 0% chance you caught something from a straw with microscopic amounts of dried blood on

You honestly have no idea iv been in and out of cmht services for over 20 years trying to get help with this im on multiple different medications. I have regular gp check ins have had top to toe mri's multiple times iv have thousands of pages of medical records and a&e records. Trust me its destroyed my life I absolutely would not have drank out of that straw as I know where that would lead to and I certainly wouldn't be posting on mumsnet I would of been straight to a&e hours ago that is the true reality of severe health anxiety so don't you dare say i have no idea. Are you even diagnosed or just self diagnosed?

You think you might need to call for medical help immediately because you chose to use a straw with blood on the packaging so let’s hope so.

If that is the case @youalright then I'm truly sorry for you.
There are an awful lot of people with too much time on their hands hanging around AIBU. You can't be too careful.

Are you saying you've got AIDs? @Ymiryboo

I've just seen the iBase website.

You can NOT catch HIV from:

• Eating any food, cooked or uncooked, with blood on it.