Virus Passed On By Just A Few Seconds Exposure

[Flaxmeadow]

Why we should still be cautious? News report on how infectious.

Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) Tweeted: “NO MORE THAN MERE SECONDS” of exposure in 10-60 centimeters where one man triggers several #DeltaVariant infections with brief “fleeting” contact. Thousands of shoppers at NSW🇦🇺 mass tested. Delta called “near & present danger”.

HT @lizziepearl. #COVID19
t.co/NFg1RwMnVD twitter.com/DrEricDing/status/1406779894785351688?s=20

I can actually believe that it "can" be passed on by fleeting contact.

I had covid a few weeks ago. Very minor symptoms, but tested positive several times over about 10 days with the home testing kits.

Now the thing is, I am absolutely certain that I didn't spend more than fleeting contact with anyone over the couple of weeks beforehand. Our DS is away at Uni, so the only person in my household was OH who I spent any time in close contact with. OH is ECV due to cancer and continues to shield. I work in my own office, alone, and I don't have clients calling in. I walk to/from work (less than a mile from home), so I don't use public transport and rarely drive unless it's bad weather, so I'll have fleeting contact with other walkers to/from work, but I don't stop and talk/socialise with them. We do click n collect for our shopping once a week, so there's fleeting contact there, but we wear masks and gloves when handling the shopping, and the supermarket worker leaves the shopping on the trolley, so no prolonged contact. I also checked back on DH's hospital appointments for cancer, and the only one in the last few weeks was a blood test (others were phone consultations). We have no local family, so no visits to eachothers' houses. No going to pubs/restaurants, etc. We did go to a garden centre, but, we went mid week when it was quiet and again, any contacts were only fleeting as we passed other shoppers.

So, we really have to assume it was a fleeting contact that passed it onto me. We are 100% certain we didn't spend more than a few minutes (at most) close to anyone else, not friends, not family, due to OH shielding which also means I'm shielding.

Most people will only infect 1 or 2 others, but there are multiple reports of super spreaders who help push up the R number by infecting tens of people. There have been lots of theories as to why this might be. My personal favourite is "mouth breathers" because I've always thought those people were grim

I heard this had happened in an indoor shopping centre in Australia. But presumably they weren't wearing masks? And maybe there was some anti-social coughing and sneezing going on too, not just walking by someone. The whole point of social distancing was to avoid going too close to people and coughing all over them.

Still I bet if this story is made more public the vaccinated runners will be in the firing line again for their virus shedding huffing and puffing over everyone they pass (outside).

*But you’re posting on this thread?

Jog on*

Yes, im posting on this thread and was replying to some one else.

Quite why you felt the need to interject so rudely is anyones guess, but no, I don't think I will "jog on".

My personal favourite is "mouth breathers" because I've always thought those people were grim

Oh for goodness sake. You do realise that the reason people breathe through their mouths is because their nasal tubes are a bit twisted? I can't blow my nose for example, I have to do one nostril at a time. A bit grim? Please do listen to yourself, so offensive.

I think to be fair as well Australia and the UK are very different in terms of vaccine and virus exposure. We have had 15 months of fairly constant virus they have had none.

Also superspreader events such as this have been known to happen before

For those saying why do we care, well our government have repeatedly shown they don't so it's up to us to inform ourselves, not passively wait for whatever spin our dangerously reckless government puts on it.

I'm sorry for those who can't distinguish between examination of facts / discussion and being scared, perhaps this isn't the topic for you.

But please don't try to stop the rest of us having a reasoned conversation about this new development.

@33feethighandrising

For those saying why do we care, well our government have repeatedly shown they don't so it's up to us to inform ourselves, not passively wait for whatever spin our dangerously reckless government puts on it.

I'm sorry for those who can't distinguish between examination of facts / discussion and being scared, perhaps this isn't the topic for you.

But please don't try to stop the rest of us having a reasoned conversation about this new development.

It’s not a point if not caring, to me anyway, rather it’s not information we need to act on

Unless you will? Up to you individually of course

Haha he is the one person you shouldn’t listen too.

Badbadbunny

I can remember a thread ages ago where a mumsnetter, who had been very cautious, had tested positive but couldn't understand how she'd caught it. The only people she'd had contact with were a couple, neighbours I think, while out walking. She had only stopped, at distance over 2 metres, briefly to say hello and carried on walking. I think it might have been a topic when testing outside hospital had only just started and there was some doubt back then in topics that the testing was accurate

@StoppinBy

I am in Aus and can't say that I would put much faith in it just yet. Recently they said something similar happened in Victoria (where I am) and then several days later took it back.

A lot of information seems to be getting blown up to get people scared then they are recanting on it days later. I'm over it. It's very hard to know what it the truth and what isn't even if it's being presented as fact.

I wonder how much if thats down to people not wanting to be judged/shamed for doing something they shouldn't have been (hugging a friend) for example do they swear they were the proscribed distance apart.

If true there are implications especially for schools and workplaces as the social distance guidance would be irrelevant.

After seeing the scenes on Friday for the England Scotland match - I'm sure we'll find out if closer contact outside at less than 2m, spreads Delta.

@LazenbyLane

If true there are implications especially for schools and workplaces as the social distance guidance would be irrelevant.

After seeing the scenes on Friday for the England Scotland match - I'm sure we'll find out if closer contact outside at less than 2m, spreads Delta.

Schools already have 1m and 1 minute don’t worry

Thank god for this thread. Now I know to stay safely in my living room forever more and stay 2 metres away from everybody for the rest of my life. I will apply my hand gel every 30 seconds and wear a mask for the rest of my life.

@Flaxmeadow

A man who was in a shopping centre passed the virus on by just walking past other shoppers From the link in OP 'he “brushed past a man” in his 50’s… who became case #4.'

How could he possibly know it was this single encounter!

It’s not a point if not caring, to me anyway, rather it’s not information we need to act on

Unless you will? Up to you individually of course

Yes, it's information I will act on by finding out more about it. This board is a good place to do that.

I am having to spend more time with people for work, I am taking precautions based on what I've learnt about covid to date.

This report may well be overblown but as the Delta virus is more transmissible, it's sensible to have a conversation about how, exactly, in my opinion.

Hmm
Does it matter though, at this point?

My point of view is that everyone will come into contact with it at some point[the majority must have already] and either they catch it or they dont.

I am a year past worrying about catching it[I have already had it March last year].

There's nothing particular new or alarming here.

If you weren't aware that a fleeting contact can result in an infection, then you're a bit slow. Ever walked past a smoker just as they exhaled?

The fact is that it's a rare occurrence. If this was the norm, then a long time ago, covid would have infected everyone in the world. It may be slightly more likely with Delta than with previous variants, but it's not a new risk.

LIZS
How could he possibly know it was this single encounter

Science

Well if the Delta variant habitually spreads that easily, then we are in trouble here in the UK, especially with the Euros in full swing. But as others have said, this could just be an isolated incident of super spreading.

Also, as others have said, if it was spread that easily we'd have noticed it doing that here in the UK ages ago. It might be good news in a way in that the fact we haven't noticed this happening may demonstrate that the vaccines are reducing transmission effectively.

I don't think there is any need to panic.

You set your public health policies by the measures which will suppress most transmission.

i think the experts know there will be outliers.

And yes, the CEV were advised not to go outside their own home at all in the first lockdown. That has now been revised, because the impact on life was just too much, but even now the recommendation for the most vulnerable is to avoid mixing and keep a distance (something to remember before expecting all strangers to be ok with proximity)

But most people won't get infected this, you would be unlucky. It can happen, but there is nothing to suggest it is common enough to be the basis of policy.

But unless the "victim" had no other contacts during the potential transmission period it is not proven. Were they immediately removed to a bubble?!

@Bordois likely most of them, I imagine that many asymptomatic people who have passed it on have also not been asymptomatic but didn't want to admit it.

With regards to the information being blown out of proportion we have also had information given to us that we had the Delta strain (on an earlier occasion, a few weeks ago) but then days later that was recanted so it's not just information that people aren't passing along that's causing the issue.

Our state (Victoria) was put in to another lock down and is still under restrictions that other states aren't so the government has to convince us they are needed

Did the other shoppers have masks on?

Um it’s clearly not that transmissable, my daughter was sitting next to a woman on a train who didn’t wear a mask and got the Covid alert. She didn’t get it, and she sat next to her for a couple of hours.

Very obviously it’s not that transmissable. The infection rates prove it.