Country walk, couldn't believe my eyes, this is how it spreads...

[RapidRainbow]

We've been, like everyone else, walking more than usual. Today we walked a new route. The path was really tricky to SD on having to stop and go up against barbed fences to let people pass. We were wedged between a group carrying a pushchair down to a beauty spot (we didn't realise until we got there the insistence to go down the very steep rocky stepped path was because they were clearly gathering for a day out with other families as we saw approx. 20 people in groups in a clearing!). At one point we stopped so we didn't get too close to people in front and a family group behind us went past and I felt their presence on my back, you know that little brush against you! Then there was a group of 3 in their early twenties ish with one man coughing and sensed them very close behind so moved over to let them past. On both occasions a polite 'excuse me' would have been better so we could suitable SD as best we could.

We sat on a hill near a gate, we could see everyone going through it opened it with their hands. My DH and son used their feet to knock the catches open so we didn't have to touch the gate. If we have to touch a stiff gate, we instantly use our hand spray gel, I'm so glad we didn't need to do that today!

I watched as kids climbed over the gate, people opened the gate then rubbed their face or opened a drinks bottle or ran their hands through their hair! I estimated that in the 10 minutes we sat there, approx 20 people touched that gate and not one used a handgel or wipe etc afterwards.

It's not exact, but that would be 120 people in an hour and over a 10 hour day of a busy area, approx 1200 touching that one gate. Statisticly, some of them would be carrying Covid!

These will be the people who get Covid and say 'well I've only been to the Supermarket and out walking'!

I don't think I'm being overly cautious? I feel safe outside if we SD but I try to imagine every person and every surface could be carrying Covid to keep risks to a minimum.

But look, all those people who are wading in to have a go at the OP....

we were TOLD weeks ago not to sit on benches, not to touch gates, not to get within 6 ft of people even outside.

THIS was medical advice!

If you think you know better you are clearly in the wrong job and should be up there on the briefings with Prof Whittey et al.

The virus may have diminished in the population BUT it has not gone away.

OP- I'd have turned back.

I live rurally and we don't go out on popular walks at weekends when it's good weather as too many people from outside my area travel in.

I think you ought to have read the signs and doubled back.

The bit of the Op that would concern me is the person coughing behind you and brushing past, its unlikely they have it, but they must be aware coughing and getting close to people is bound to cause anxiety

Christ on a bike, really OP? This isn't how it is spread at all, I am not hugely worried about social distancing out and about, it really isn't a huge threat to walk past someone unless they're coughing and sneezing and have covid. Most coughs at the moment are due to the horrendous pollen count.
Hand gel after every gate? Lordy, I dont think I ever washed my hands as a kid out in the country before eating the picnic. Nice to hear you're putting shoe germs, likely shit and stuff on gates by kicking them open .

I can’t bear judgey posts like this

Stop thinking everyone and everything has COVID. The vast majority have observed SD, for 13 weeks+ now, followed advice and guidance and the R rate has been driven right down and the 1/1700 figure above is what the BBC are reporting on the World Service. This is why it’s ok now to return to (as much as) “normal” - they are even away to drop SD to 1M, likely altogether by the end of Aug

I get so fucking exasperated at posts like these, frightened people pissing on others for living as you’ve been completely convinced this killer virus will mangle the shit out of you and a second wave and the imminent collapse of the NHS is just round the corner.

I do and and I don’t blame you OP (and those who think alike) for my still feeling anxious about touching my face in a supermarket, for pressing the button at traffic lights, but heavens above I hope you keep your opinions to yourself and that you get that life must and has to return to normal sometime, cure or no cure, vaccine or no vaccine

WELL SAID! Completely agree 👏👏👏

"Is "SD" now an abbreviation? *

This! Took me two reads to understand Op wasn't talking about her step daughter.

It sounds like you’ve been extremely badly affected by lockdown and have become quite paranoid about it all. I think perhaps you should talk to someone who could help you reestablish a healthy perspective.

@JinglingHellsBells

But look, all those people who are wading in to have a go at the OP....

we were TOLD weeks ago not to sit on benches, not to touch gates, not to get within 6 ft of people even outside.

THIS was medical advice!

If you think you know better you are clearly in the wrong job and should be up there on the briefings with Prof Whittey et al.

The virus may have diminished in the population BUT it has not gone away.

OP- I'd have turned back.

I live rurally and we don't go out on popular walks at weekends when it's good weather as too many people from outside my area travel in.

I think you ought to have read the signs and doubled back.

A lot of this advice was given right at the beginning of the outbreak, when we were uncertain as to how it spread.

It's mostly been discredited now. Touching something outdoors is very very unlikely to pass the virus on, even if a tiny amount of virus happens to be existing on the surface. It's not likely to contain enough to cause you to catch Covid.

@JinglingHellsBells

But look, all those people who are wading in to have a go at the OP....

we were TOLD weeks ago not to sit on benches, not to touch gates, not to get within 6 ft of people even outside.

THIS was medical advice!

If you think you know better you are clearly in the wrong job and should be up there on the briefings with Prof Whittey et al.

The virus may have diminished in the population BUT it has not gone away.

OP- I'd have turned back.

I live rurally and we don't go out on popular walks at weekends when it's good weather as too many people from outside my area travel in.

I think you ought to have read the signs and doubled back.

Yes because they were erring on the side of caution because they weren't 100%. Much more is known now.

Your vocabulary choices show just how much you disapprove of the other people who you saw on your walk today. I hope your contempt for the other people you encountered was not evident to your child as you are in danger of making them fearful of the world.

On my walk today with my two teenage daughters, we turned a corner and encountered a group of late teen/early twenties men on bikes. We could have felt intimidated and we could have felt judgemental as not only were they breaking the Covid rules some of them were on motorbikes.

But that’s not how I choose to live my life and it’s not how I want my children to grow up - judging people or scared of everyone. Instead I asked them if they knew there was a rope swing a bit further down and when they said they didn’t I told them how to find it. As they rode off one of them lifted his visor and said ‘thanks, and your dog is really cute’.

OP I’ve opened gates with my hands but used gel when I’ve got to my car and washed hands on arriving home. It’s ok so long as you don’t touch your face/ mouth/ eyes/ nose.

That isn’t how it spreads. Very very unlikely that you would pick it up from touching a gate, and opening the catches with feet is just odd.

I live rurally. I have been using outdoor gates and park benches throughout lockdown. Most here are in areas where you don’t see many people.

I do socially distanced where possible, but I’m not paranoid either if for a few minutes it isn’t. I certainly don’t turn into a contortionist to open a gate.

You are right OP, this is exactly how it spreads. People touching gates on a country walk, touching doors of a building, holding handrails, supermarket trolley....anything really, not washing their hands, touching their faces or hair.
It's the reason I use gloves when I go out, a clean pair each time, sanitise and wash hands afterwards, despite the gloves. No-one seems to listen or care....
I shall carry on for as long as I feel comfortable.

This is the way of madness.

I have apublic footpath running through my fields. DEFRA & NFU advised all gates to be wedged open (if no live stock in fields) to prevent the spread of Covid to walkers and farmers.

gates and covid

You were opening the latch with your foot/shoe?

Fantastic.

So some kid who doesn't really know the definition of hygiene (I'm talking young), could be at risk of illness by touching the gate because you were so paranoid at the minute risk of covid infection, you decided to use your potentially dog/sheep/cow shit covered shoe to open the latch.

Ironic.

OP - you do know that these handgels and wipes are Anti-Bacterial, Covid-19 is a virus.

I do fear that a mental health crisis is coming, especially what we teach the children now.

It's risk v benefit isn't it? I did a similar walk last week with 9 other extended family members, no handgel, no gloves, and enjoyed every minute.
Having said that I've been working in ppe for three months so can't get het up about things like this.

Some farm workers caught Covid and died when they hadn't been off the farm.

We have public footpaths diverted away from farmyards for that reason.

The thing is... this is not how it spreads...

The evidence of surface transmission for COVID has always been weak. The advice to constantly sanitise hands is based on what we know about flu but the two viruses have very notable differences.

I have been reading SAGE papers and apparently across the world there are only two potential documented cases where virus might have been transmitted via surfaces (indoors) - once in a church in Singapore and once in a Chinese mall. There was a third possibility (office canteen in Germany) but it turned out that the transmitter and the infected person briefly spoke to each other.

Also obv not everyone who has it will be symptomatic, or shedding virus onto the hand they use to touch the gate

Asymptomatic is supposedly a low transmission risk (especially outdoors) and if you're symptomatic then you really shouldn't be out on a country walk at all. Therefore it's safer than you might think as long as symptomatic people are staying away.

Alcoholic hand gel / sanitizer works on covid too.

www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/18441638.concern-walkers-may-spread-virus-cumbrian-farm-worker-dies-covid-19/

^The thing is... this is not how it spreads...

The evidence of surface transmission for COVID has always been weak. The advice to constantly sanitise hands is based on what we know about flu but the two viruses have very notable differences.

I have been reading SAGE papers and apparently across the world there are only two potential documented cases where virus might have been transmitted via surfaces (indoors) - once in a church in Singapore and once in a Chinese mall. There was a third possibility (office canteen in Germany) but it turned out that the transmitter and the infected person briefly spoke to each other.^

Look at you, coming on here with your facts, evidence and valid arguments.

Don't you know there's a pandemic on?

@WanderingMilly

You are right OP, this is exactly how it spreads. People touching gates on a country walk, touching doors of a building, holding handrails, supermarket trolley....anything really, not washing their hands, touching their faces or hair. It's the reason I use gloves when I go out, a clean pair each time, sanitise and wash hands afterwards, despite the gloves. No-one seems to listen or care.... I shall carry on for as long as I feel comfortable.

How do you explain the fact that cases have slumped to what appears to currently be a plateau, if what you say is true there should be constantly increasing numbers. Where are all the people who are infected from touching trollies?

Anyone who thinks the virus doesn’t spread outdoors or in sunshine should look at the giant spike of cases in Florida, Texas, and Arizona after they stupidly opened for things like spring break and don’t have mandatory mask wearing or quarantines, just like the UK.