Is Covid in the air? Can someone explain it simply? How does it spread?

[allthingsbrighter]

Sorry if this is a really bizarre question.

How exactly is Covid spread? How do you catch it?

Is it close contact with someone? Or can your get it just from it being in the air?

So for instance. My hair dresser works from home.
So say if she’s negative, but she has a client who is positive (say 48 hours before the onset of symptoms) and that person is in her house before I go, does the virus stay in the air so I’m at risk of getting it, even if I don’t have contact with the infected person?

Or what about if I’m in an office and we’re all distanced by 2m. If someone has it does it stay if the air and I can catch it by walking into the same air space?

It does unfortunately hang around in the air, but how much or how long depends on things like the size of the room, ventilation, temperature etc. For one of the cases in NZ, the only point of contact they could find with someone infectious was using the same lift shortly after them. Keeping 2m apart lowers, but doesn’t eliminate the risk. Same with wearing a mask. Also, not all masks are created equal - an FFP3 or FFP3 will protect much more than a standard surgical mask or a cloth mask.
Toilets are an additional risk because the virus is shed in faeces, so flushing with the lid up for instance can spread it in the air.

*FFP2 or FFP3

OP I would guess that your friend falls into the MN category of "I haven't been anywhere" and this is immediately followed by "except for......."

If she went to the supermarket she wasn't miraculously transported there from her living room - she travelled there. Also I bet that she could think of some other places that she has been. Where has her partner been? Has he never left the house at all? They have had no deliveries? Absolutely no visitors?

@EurosprogBauble

OP I would guess that your friend falls into the MN category of "I haven't been anywhere" and this is immediately followed by "except for......."

If she went to the supermarket she wasn't miraculously transported there from her living room - she travelled there. Also I bet that she could think of some other places that she has been. Where has her partner been? Has he never left the house at all? They have had no deliveries? Absolutely no visitors?

@EurosprogBauble

She tested positive last week.

The only place she had been in the two weeks before testing positive is the supermarket where she went twice.
She’s also been for a few walks with her dog and husband.
Other than that she’s not been anywhere or seen anyone. Her husband hasn’t either.

They drive so drove to the supermarket.

I have absolutely no reason to not believe her. I’ve known her years and she’s one of the most genuine people I know.

But this is what’s got me thinking of how exactly it spreads.

Sorry there’s misinformation on this thread I need to correct .

No need to wipe down shopping or cardboard Amazon boxes. Any virus particles left on these would be too minuscule to infect you. Scientists have explained this over and over

Yeah, I've never ever wiped down by shopping or deliveries. I dont believe there has ever been advice to do so either

@tootyfruitypickle

No need to wipe down shopping or cardboard Amazon boxes. Any virus particles left on these would be too minuscule to infect you. Scientists have explained this over and over

Exactly what I thought.

The advice I've usually seen is on the lines of telling people they don't need to wipe things, just wash their hands after handling packaging. That makes sense for parcels. For packets going into my fridge, I prefer a quick wipe rather than having to think of it as something I should wash my hands after touching. Horses for courses.

I wear an ffp3 mask if I go in the supermarket. Too many people not social distancing and a lot not wearing masks. Was in Aldi the other day and out of the 6 members of staff not a single one wearing a mask. A woman in the queue behind me was about 15cm behind me and no bloody mask.

I said back in March/April that I was reading stuff from scientists saying it was likely to be airborne and at the time the majority of “experts” were saying it wasn’t. They’ve changed their minds now.

I don’t think I’m over reacting or living in fear. I’ve never wiped shopping down. I go to the gym with no mask, but there’s fewer people and better social distancing than in the supermarket. I wouldn’t have my hair cut at the minute (tier 3) but did in the summer when the rates were lower.

Have you seen how cigarette smoke hangs in the air? That’s exactly the same thing our breath our breath does. The same way you can see your breath on a cold day. It eventually drops to a surface but will also be carried by imperceptible air currents and dissipated.

Masks can offer some protection as can hand and surface hygiene but none of them are 100% foolproof.

Covid safe = reduced opportunities for transmission as much as possible not free from covid.

I’ve never wiped down anything or washed my hands after packages. I do after putting away shopping anyway cos of meat packaging etc. I wash my hands before meals. I’ve been lucky enough not to set foot in a supermarket since late feb though as that does make me nervous !! Although that’s a bit mad as I go in other shops and to restaurants !!

Also not yet had my hair cut - coming up to
A year now so it’s not looking great!!

@JacobReesMogadishu

I go to the gym with no mask, but there’s fewer people and better social distancing than in the supermarket. I wouldn’t have my hair cut at the minute (tier 3) but did in the summer when the rates were lower.

See this confuses me.

Hairdressers everyone wears masks, including the hair dressers.
All clients are distanced from each other, screens inbetween.

Gym, people are exercising, exhaling more, no masks.

I’d personally prefer a hairdressers.

Really good explanation here
english.elpais.com/society/2020-10-28/a-room-a-bar-and-a-class-how-the-coronavirus-is-spread-through-the-air.html

@allthingsbrighter

Apologies, I didn't mean to imply that your friend was being untruthful, it was more of a general observation but I wasn't very clear

It's personal choice regarding shopping/packaging the information is low risk but given I get a delivery from the supermarket picked from shelves I prefer not to risk it so everything gets wiped down and outer packaging for parcels disposed of before it passes my porch.

WHO has stated that: “The likelihood of an infected person contaminating commercial goods is low, and the risk of catching the virus that causes COVID-19 from a package that has been moved and exposed to different conditions and temperature is also low”.

Similarly, the CDC has said: “In general, because of poor survivability of these coronaviruses on surfaces, there is likely very low risk of spread from products or packaging

It's why I've been extremely surprised that pubs and restaurants, even in milder weather, didn't open a single window even with the room packed to the gunnels and stuffy?!

Bizzare!

[quote allthingsbrighter]@JacobReesMogadishu

I go to the gym with no mask, but there’s fewer people and better social distancing than in the supermarket. I wouldn’t have my hair cut at the minute (tier 3) but did in the summer when the rates were lower.

See this confuses me.

Hairdressers everyone wears masks, including the hair dressers.
All clients are distanced from each other, screens inbetween.

Gym, people are exercising, exhaling more, no masks.

I’d personally prefer a hairdressers.[/quote]
The gym is dead. I’m a member at a big gym, 5000 plus members before lockdown so a lot of floor space. Since beginning of December there’s only been 300 different members through the gate. I can frequently be the only person in the gym. The equipment is usually between two gyms and they’ve commandeered a tennis court and made a third gym so it’s spread out even more. Classes are outside and you stand on your measured spot.

There’s more staff than members and they’re cleaning non stop. Members also have to clean equipment before and after use. And anti bac your hands when you come in, and there’s someone on the door enforcing that.

I know with the hairdresser it’s only one person but it’s the close proximity which worries me. And how many other people they’ve been in close proximity to in the days before me.

The gym think confuses me. From what I can gather my local gym (tier 3) is open as usual but only every other machine can be used.

Surely all the over exertion, being out of breath, and sweating increases the risk of transmission? If singing is an issue I feel gyms must be too?

I have chosen not to get my haircut as it involves bring extremely close to the hairdresser for about 2 hours. That's feels unsafe to me, even when we are both wearing masks.

There are so many people not wearing masks who work in hairdressers, supermarkets and takeaways locally. I accept not everyone can wear one, but it really is a lot of people and seems unlikely that all of them can't wear a mask.

I also see huge amounts of people wearing visors. I think there needs to be more clear information telling people that wearing a visor isn't a substitute for a mask.