Are you still wearing rings?

[Coffeeandcrumpet]

I was out this weekend and noticed a lady wearing loads of massive rings, she was washing her hands at the time but there is no way should could effectively clean her hands with massive baubles on her fingers and it got me thinking how many people are still wearing rings? I took mine off in March and haven't worn them since as you can't clean your hands effectively wearing them. Why has this not been communicated to people?

I understand it for people in a healthcare setting but I really can’t worry too much myself. I work from home and hardly go anywhere so I’m not using hand gel very often and I’ve never worried about it before so I’m not starting now!

Oh dear. Yes nothing has changed on the ring front...

@daytripper28 Can you share the evidence on the degree of increased infection transmission risk that comes through wearing rings relative to not wearing them in everyday (ie non-clinical) scenarios?

Wow! people are going way OTT if not wearing rings due to a virus. Are you also removing your finger nails? Becuse they are much worse for dirt accumulation.

I started wearing a silicone ring at the start of the year. I bought myself a set after years of not wearing one and thinking I'll never find anything suitable that doesn't hurt my joints or irritate my skin. It's very comfortable and I can wash around it just fine.

My spouse does have a plain metal ring that doesn't budge much, but I'm more worried about the risks if it needs to removed in an emergency than infection risk.

False nails yes!

I take mine off to wash my hands then put them back on. More to protect them then anything else but I do only wear my wedding and engagement rings so only takes a second to slip them off and back on again.

@Dawnlassie

Wow! people are going way OTT if not wearing rings due to a virus. Are you also removing your finger nails? Becuse they are much worse for dirt accumulation.

I'm not wearing my wing because it cost £££, and taking it off to wash my hands means I risk losing it, that's not ott. You're right about false nails- it's a bit dozy to wear them when the virus can last for hours on hard surfaces. I wouldn't say that in real life though.

No. I put on weight over the lockdown and now my fingers are too chubby.

@NoParticularPattern

No I’ve completely removed all my jewellery and clothing. I have also removed all body hair and the top few layers of skin as there’s just no cleaning that is there? I’m going to pluck all my nostril and ear hairs this afternoon because who knows what they might be harbouring!

Don’t be absurd

Quite frankly you're not trying hard enough.

I've removed ALL my skin. And then at least 3 layers of muscles because they're quite fibrous and could get all sorts stuck in them.

I do still wear my rings though and I've just caught three colds in swift succession owing to working in a covid pit, sorry, school. Well that'll learn me for keeping my sparklies on I suppose.

At work it's wedding band only

No, I still wear my rings, you can clean your hands effectively without them, long fingernails should be your concern.

@IrmaFayLear

I think we should all be naked. And body hair is a bit problematic, too, no end of nasties can be caught up in that.

Indeed. Can’t be too careful can we?

Best to remove your fingernails too.

It’s people who take their rings off to wash hands then put them back on I can’t understand. The ring has touched what your hand has touched, you don’t wash the ring and then put germy rings back onto clean hands? Might as well not really bother washing. I used to work with a girl that did this and I always felt a bit ‘eeew’ about things she’d touched!

I took them off in march as asked to remove them for work and it seemed a sensible infection control measure in a pandemic.

As pp I don't wear earrings or necklace either... And some of you will think I take it way too far but wrap my phone in cling film and clean it with 80% alcohol when I get in.... I wash my keys, I clean my handbag... Wash sunglasses. What more can I do? I bet I'm missing something.

Yep, I haven't taken my wedding ring off in 15 years and never will.

I haven't worn any rings since March either, OP. None of mine like having contact with soap and water and I didn't like the thought of constantly having to take them off to wash or sanitize my hands

I'm not, because my beautiful amber ring was ruined by hand sanitiser. It's gone cloudy.

I've never worn a ring! Is that unusual?

No, I'm not. I have to remind myself where they are every now and again.

I take my rings off and have also shaved the back of my hands. I knitted a little face mask out of the hair which has the added bonus of keeping me warm and Covid safe.

Seriously though I haven't changed my hygiene habits - I have always removed "costume" rings to wash my hands and just kept any flat bands on and soaped and dried carefully.

It makes me that so many people are obviously washing their hands more than they used to, so clearly were previously mingers anyway (and didn't give a shit before about killing vulnerable people off with germs which could quite easily have seen lots of us off...)

@Murfle, if I don't wash my hands after coming in, the only person I would possibly hurt is myself. I wasn't particularly susceptible to other things, nevver had flu, noro etc. But now I'm washing my hands more. Because I've turned 50+ and this virus is a threat to me. The 'granny killing' shite has to stop.

There hasn't been viruses around, in the UK that are as dangerous as Covid, which has the same transmission routes etc, which is why we have excess deaths and globally do 'hands, face, space' . I say that as someone who has had pneumonia and TB. For those asking pre March why HCPs wore rings, well they didn't need PPE pre March either, so perhaps think a bit more.

I can remember when people wouldn't even have had someone HIV+ in their house, because they thought they would get infected. Viruses vary, in many ways.