At the risk of asking a ridiculously stupid question…

[BuddlesOfMine]

Can someone please explain what I’m missing here?
Last week (I think) there was a thread where the OP posted about a colleague who she had sat next to and shared a pen and a bowl of sweets with had tested positive for covid and she was concerned. Cue many posters telling her the pen and sweets didn’t matter as it’s airborne. I’ve since read similar. Surely though those things do matter too? If they don’t and only coughing and sneezing in someone’s space means it can be transmitted, then why are we sanitising trolleys/our hands etc?

Sorry if this is as stupid a question as it feels but it’s brought home to me as my DS is currently positive and I could be quite poorly if I catch it. I’m sanitising and disinfecting like a mad woman but some seem to think that’s not necessary? I’m not going mad am I?

Thanks!

It is airborne but as far as I know people can cough into their hand and touch a pen which the virus is then in and someone else touches it, or cough all over food and then serve it, or breathe all over someone and they inhale it etc.

Presumably it’s in all bodily fluids too, like sweat in hands or saliva.

Fomites are not one of the main routes of transmission.

I would not worry about touching things.

Its a respiratory pathogen that spreads through aerosols. The more concentrated the aerosols (say indoors, poorly ventilated, lots of people per m^2) the easier it spreads.

Best way to avoid exposure is to avoid any indoor interaction that does not have adequate safeguards (masks + ventilation + testing).

I am not sanitising or cleaning trolleys. I’m not sure hand sanitiser is the best idea as it is killing all the good bacteria. I’m not sure if anyone else is also not a fan? I told my DD to refuse it at school and just use soap and water.

Early in 2020 when we weren't quite sure how it was transmitted those things mattered. There are a lot of bacteria and viruses transmitted by fomites (touch) but we now know covid isn't one of them.

It's airborn and all the handwashing in the world is just hygene theatre.

I got told off once in a restaurant for not using the hand gel. They had no windows open, it was hot, so the switched on the ceiling fans, just to waft any virus around the room. I never went back!

At the start they had no idea of how it was being transmitted. Now they do.
If you want to avoid getting it, layer up, turn on heating and open all the windows

I've read online that Covid can survive on surfaces/items for different periods of time depending on the material so I think it is possible, however I'm not sure how high that risk would be.

Fomite is a possible big route of transmission, but it's not a common one.

Handwashing and sanitising is however an excellent hygiene precaution against many diseases, including colds and flu, noro and all thebwinter vomiting bugs. It's a good habit to have

I saw that thread and think I replied to it.

The point that posters were making is that the sweets and pens were irrelevant because they were sitting a foot apart un-masked and breathing each others' air. Fomites are a much less important transmission route than droplets and aerosols.

Oh and it's not a stupid question.

What are you disinfecting? That seems like a waste of time tbh, if you're going to catch covid from someone you live with it's not going to be from the toilet bowl or whatever you are disinfecting. It will be the way that everyone catches it, via aerosol transmission in close proximity. But even then it's not 100% transmissible, there's no way to predict.

I don’t think most people sanitise trolleys do they? I’ve witnessed it once or twice. It was very much a first lockdown “thing”.

I wouldn’t worry about sweets and a pen, but sitting close to someone is the risk

But they have a spray and paper with the trolleys and a security guard there? Is this just in Ireland?plus our doctor wipes pens after use. I don't see what harm either of these things can do to be honest, better over precautions than not!!

@stayathomer

But they have a spray and paper with the trolleys and a security guard there? Is this just in Ireland?plus our doctor wipes pens after use. I don't see what harm either of these things can do to be honest, better over precautions than not!!

Not all microbes are bad for us. Remember when we used to be concered about anti-bacterial resitance? (Applies to anti-virus too) By using these products all the time, we damage the natural microbial balance and risk mutations that evade these products and a potentially greater problem. A sensible amount of handwashing is useful and as it just displaces the microbes and washes them away rather than attempting to eradicate 99.9% Our immune systems need exposure to a range of microbes and there are links between overly sanitised environments and allergies, so constantly wiping down surfaces and slathering our hands in alcohol is not a benign action. That doesn't mean that there aren't times when these products aren't useful (e.g. after blowing your nose when handwashing is not avaliable), but just indiscriminately trying to keep a sterile environment is not a good thing.

@AllThatFancyPaintsAsFair

What are you disinfecting? That seems like a waste of time tbh, if you're going to catch covid from someone you live with it's not going to be from the toilet bowl or whatever you are disinfecting. It will be the way that everyone catches it, via aerosol transmission in close proximity. But even then it's not 100% transmissible, there's no way to predict.

This. Covid is an airborne virus. If you’re going to catch it from someone sat next to you, it’s because you’re breathing the same air, not because you shared some sweets.

I’ve never once disinfected a shopping trolley. I use hand sanitiser if I’m out and about and need to eat something, so my hands will touch the food, otherwise why would I sanitise my hands? I use soap and water to wash my hands when I get home, and when I go to the toilet, both in and out of my house.

BogRollBOGOF
Except in the year of a pandemic surely! I know about good and bad microbes but you have to protect against dangerous microbes, and if I see a doctor sanitizing I think I'll go with them (but I totally get your point, no sickness last year and this year we've been banged with sicknesses, only thing is I'll take it over covid (I had covid and my chest is broken from it).