Page 3 | If my neighbour's smoke is getting in, will their Covid particles too?

MiraWard1 · 2021-01-29T19:59:46+00:00

We have some gym equipment in our garage. Our garage is on the end of a row of 3. We have new neighbours with the garage at the other end (so there's one garage in between). The new neighbours seem to have turned their garage into a sort of 90s pub with smoking and darts etc. Their cigarette smoke gets into our garage, which is unpleasant at the best of times, and more so when wanting to exercise. We can't ask them not to smoke in their own garage (though I suspect they smoke there because it's rented and not allowed to smoke in the house). We will be having some work done on ours in a few months and will have it sealed off then. But a worrying thought struck me: if their smoke particles are seeping into our garage in concentration enough that we can smell it, would COVID particles travel in the same way. And if they could, (as a brief google suggests, though with little evidence), would enough make it through to cause infection? (Presumably this would be exacerbated if someone was breathing hard from exercise) Is there an expert lurking who can either validate my concern or reassure me robustly?

LucilleTheVampireBat · 30/01/2021 09:06

Oh get a grip 🤣 Pile on? You've only managed a 2 page thread, with multiple posts from you, thats hardly a pile on. People disagree with you and you don't like it so play the oh you're all so mean card.

Applesandpears23 · 30/01/2021 09:07

Just saw this thread. In the summer I was concerned about my neighbour smoking very close to my back door for the same reason. I think it is a reasonable question and I don’t understand why you are getting so much flack.

Original poster

MiraWard1 · 30/01/2021 09:07

@LucilleTheVampireBat

Oh get a grip 🤣 Pile on? You've only managed a 2 page thread, with multiple posts from you, thats hardly a pile on. People disagree with you and you don't like it so play the oh you're all so mean card.

Yes dear. Thank you for your very helpful contribution.

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Original poster

MiraWard1 · 30/01/2021 09:08

@Applesandpears23

Just saw this thread. In the summer I was concerned about my neighbour smoking very close to my back door for the same reason. I think it is a reasonable question and I don’t understand why you are getting so much flack.

Me neither!

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WiseUpJanetWeiss · 30/01/2021 09:09

Lingering smoke is an indicator of poor ventilation, so although

-Coronavirus-bearing particles are likely to be somewhat larger than the smoke particles and therefore won’t travel as far,

not all smoke particles will have been inhaled first

I don’t think I’d be too keen to spend too long in there just as I’m not keen to be anywhere indoors with people at the moment. Having said that, I still wouldn’t be too keen even if it was “just” smoke.

The previous comments about smells (gases) being many orders of magnitude smaller than viruses are generally true (ref. the idiotic “well farts get through pants” argument of the anti-mask brigade), but smoke is not a gas, it’s airborne particles similar to coronavirus-bearing aerosols.

Arobase · 30/01/2021 09:10

I don't follow why your concerns are focussed on this garage. If you are worried about droplets travelling some distance, surely that applies every time you go out of the house? How about other neighbours, people you pass in the road, etc?

Henrynextdoor · 30/01/2021 09:17

Could you buy a couple of fans and have them on for a while with the doors of your garage open before you exercise in there?

Puzzler333 · 30/01/2021 09:18

Encouraging people to be this scared abiut something that you've acknowledged yourself is probably less of a risk than passive smoking is pretty horrible to those that have no choice to isolate at home because they have to go into work. The TV and radio ads are bad enough...

You can deal with the situation - ventilate and look at ways of better sealing your garage. This will stop the unpleasant smoke smell, the tiny risks posed by passive smoking and the tiny risks posed by covid.

Original poster

MiraWard1 · 30/01/2021 09:23

@Arobase

I don't follow why your concerns are focussed on this garage. If you are worried about droplets travelling some distance, surely that applies every time you go out of the house? How about other neighbours, people you pass in the road, etc?

Inside my garage is an enclosed space. If smoke particles are building up in there, my concern is/was that aerosolised droplets (potentially containing Covid particles) could travel in the same way.

After I started the thread I spoke to a scientist friend who pointed out that water droplets nucleate or coalesce around tiny smoke and dust particles - this is how clouds form. Which means not only might the smoke be an indication that aerosolised droplets may be gathering in an enclosed space, but also that those smoke particles could feasibly facilitate the transport of those droplets.

Of course, this being theoretically possible doesn't mean that it does pose a risk at all.

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Original poster

MiraWard1 · 30/01/2021 09:24

@Henrynextdoor

Could you buy a couple of fans and have them on for a while with the doors of your garage open before you exercise in there?

That's a good idea actually. Thanks

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Original poster

MiraWard1 · 30/01/2021 09:25

@Puzzler333

Encouraging people to be this scared abiut something that you've acknowledged yourself is probably less of a risk than passive smoking is pretty horrible to those that have no choice to isolate at home because they have to go into work. The TV and radio ads are bad enough...

You can deal with the situation - ventilate and look at ways of better sealing your garage. This will stop the unpleasant smoke smell, the tiny risks posed by passive smoking and the tiny risks posed by covid.

Encouraging other people to be worried?

Is that why some posters are being quite so vehement in their assertions of my mental instability etc? Because I'm making them worried about their choices?

Hmm, well that would explain a lot.

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Puzzler333 · 30/01/2021 09:35

You have acknowledged more than once that this is incredibly unlikely. Therefore I can surmise you aren't suffering from extreme health anxiety. However, your initial posts suggested you were genuinely scared of catching covid in this way. This would have suggested an unhealthy health anxiety.

Original poster

MiraWard1 · 30/01/2021 09:41

Thank you Dr @Puzzler333 .

You can fold your couch away now.

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Kaylasmum49 · 30/01/2021 09:48

What is so wrong about being worried about catching covid? The OP has been given a hard time on here, where is the compassion? Great for those of you who aren't overly concerned but have a little respect for those that are very worried.

I have health anxiety and I am absolutely terrified of catching covid.

OP I think you asked a perfectly valid question. Ignore the people that seem to be desperate for a fight.

BeaSmithers · 30/01/2021 09:50

Have you considered getting help for your anxiety?

Puzzler333 · 30/01/2021 09:53

From my perspective, OP has been trying to get into an argument.

I'm not saying their is anything wrong with health anxiety. I have suffered from OCD for many years. I am aware of how important it was for me when I recognised it.

Yes, maybe its not helpful trying to suggest this to strangers on the Internet.

I'll leave the thread now because I'm not being helpful. OP has an answer.

maliciousgossip · 30/01/2021 09:55

well my DH caught Covid at his work. He has not been within 2m of anyone at work for months but someone had a bad cold and was in the room around an hour earlier so yes, I do think the particles hang around for a while. I have left my house twice since this all began, washing shopping etc, but I still caught it off DH

Partedinsurprise · 30/01/2021 09:59

I have health anxiety and I am absolutely terrified of catching covid.

So do I, but OP hasn't started the thread coming from that standpoint, she's posted coming from the standpoint that the scenario she has posted about is a reasonable fear, which it isn't.

XNamechangedx · 30/01/2021 10:05

If you think of it that way, all air has been in someone’s lungs. You’re being ridiculous

Bollss · 30/01/2021 10:08

@Kaylasmum49

What is so wrong about being worried about catching covid? The OP has been given a hard time on here, where is the compassion? Great for those of you who aren't overly concerned but have a little respect for those that are very worried.

I have health anxiety and I am absolutely terrified of catching covid.

OP I think you asked a perfectly valid question. Ignore the people that seem to be desperate for a fight.

There's nothing wrong with being "scared" when something poses an actual real risk. This doesn't, really does it? And op knows that. So why is she posting?

Original poster

MiraWard1 · 30/01/2021 10:08

@Partedinsurprise you may disagree over what is reasonable but that doesn't mean you are correct.

I came asking for logical discussion on the risk. I didn't find that here, but I did find it elsewhere.

What I did get here was people telling me I'm stupid or ill to have concerns.

We'd all like this virus to go away and for things to be back to normal. But that's not going to happen if we just pretend it doesn't exist. Indeed, collectively trying to minimise concerns and behave as usual will prolong this whole thing. Minimising the risks back in January 2020 is what got us in this situation.

You are allowed to disagree. But you can't keep complaining that I won't agree with you when you haven't given any logical reason to agree with you.

I'd happily hear reasoned, science-based logic refuting my concerns. But I haven't had that yet.

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MiraWard1 · 30/01/2021 10:09

"Why is she posting?"

Why are you posting?!

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Bollss · 30/01/2021 10:10

You got logical discussion ie it's probably not much of a risk and it's probably not very healthy to be so fixated on it. If you wanted an echo chamber you've come to the wrong place. Have you ever considered you're fueling other people's anxiety? Does that make you feel better?

Partedinsurprise · 30/01/2021 10:10

We'd all like this virus to go away and for things to be back to normal. But that's not going to happen if we just pretend it doesn't exist. Indeed, collectively trying to minimise concerns and behave as usual will prolong this whole thing

Not what I'm doing though.

Bollss · 30/01/2021 10:12

@MiraWard1

"Why is she posting?"

Why are you posting?!

You asked a question on mumsnet. People answered it. That's generally what happens on a forum.