Swapping jigsaws and books... yay or nay?

[GlassInEachHand]

There are some really great community initiatives going on with people sharing board games, books, jigsaws, putting notes through elderly neighbours's doors, etc., and this can certainly help with passing the time indoors and making people feel more connected .... BUT - and it's a big BUT - do I really need to explain my fears about why I don't think this is a good idea under the circumstances? Or is the risk of transmission in this way so small that we really don't need to be concerned? What makes these surfaces any different to any others? I haven't seen any official guidance on this so thought I'd put the question to MN wisdom...

The virus doesn’t move we move it. The best way to move it is by posting it through someone’s doorway.
Unless the well meaning are prepared to sterilise the books and jigsaws then it’s not a good idea.

I think it can work if you put the items in a 72 hour timeout somewhere - having washed your hands obviously. While paper and card don't keep the virus viable for more than a very few hours, most books and boxes will have a plastic coating of some sort, hence the 72 hours.

Non essential travel and frankly hunting for a back door loophole for socialisation at the doorstep.

NO.

No harm in leaving books/jigsaws on door steps as part of daily walks etc. Give them a wipe down with soapy water or leave them along for a day or two and it's totally fine.

Anyone could have coughed on any page of a book. I wouldn't swap them.

DameFanny - very true, I'd be less concerned if people did this as a matter of course, but it doesn't look as though anyone is taking or advising any extra precautions like this when offering stuff on FB etc.

I suspect what's needed here is a shift in perspective away from "actively trying to avoid getting infected" to "not wanting to pass it on" - if everyone starts from the position of potentially having CV themselves and not wanting to pass it on (especially given the high proportion of apparently asymptomatic cases in countries where testing is more widespread), might we start to see a fall in the number of infections? If we approached it like this we certainly wouldn't be offering stuff from a potentially infected household to all and sundry, no matter how well-meaning.

My DD swapped jigsaws with someone in our town. She dropped it off on her way to get shopping and got their one. When she brought it home she put it in the utility room then washed her hands well. That was on Monday and we haven't touched it since. I reckon it will be decontaminated now so we can start it soon. I might wipe it with a disinfectant wipe first though.

Apollo - great to hear and that's how it should be done. But is there any point in wiping the outside of the box just before opening it, when there's a multitude of tiny pieces inside that could also be contaminated? That's assuming of course that the pieces had been handled just before you collected it. If it had been left for a while then presumably it's OK. Or am I overthinking this ...

The local shop in our nearest village has just posted on FB a picture of all the CDs and books on a rack outside the shop that people have donated for "sharing".... really having to bite my tongue here!

I read virus can live for up to 24 hours on cardboard so Apollo's actions should be adequate.

Either that, or put it in the washing machine......... 😉

I am willing to live with that level of risk.

I've just completed a jigsaw and will now be sold on eBay for a charity. I wiped down with anti bacterial spray before dismantling. It's now in a box and won't be touch again for a few weeks as it won't be sold before then