Update: I’ve come down with something which I think may be COVID-19. Even if it isn’t, it goes to show that you can’t be too careful. (In addition to following a relaxed version of the above disinfection protocol, my roommate and I also went for a hike the other week, but we went off the trail in order to stay a solid 20 feet away from the few other hikers we saw.)
Definitely wishing I had ignored the skeptics in this thread and maintained full paranoia.
The website for this product says it’s used for training in major hospitals, so I think it’s reasonable to guess that germs really do spread as easily as the video suggests.
Me and my roommate both work from home (and were doing that well before the pandemic). So packages, letters, and maybe the trash person touching our trash bins are essentially the only possible way for us to get infected. It takes less time & attention for us to be paranoid about external contacts than it takes for us to make sure to not touch our face, wash our hands frequently, etc. etc. Comments in this thread updated me in the direction that the procedure I described is excessive, but I’m still handling packages with gloves + bleaching the gloves afterwards (not right away but before using them again) and letting packages dry out for multiple days before touching them or their contents with bare hands. I actually think taking these precautions takes less time & attention than doing a sufficiently careful read of the literature to figure out if I can be less cautious (and remember, even if the literature says X, X is not necessarily true since studies don’t always replicate). I also think that as things peak, for those who are immunocompromised, you might as well be really paranoid since your life is at stake and most packages will probably be handled by someone who’s infectious.
Thanks for writing this up. Since the time you published this, and given the comments and other developments, I’m curious if you still feel that this is necessary? The CDC and FDA websites both don’t rule out food-borne transmission but say it’s unlikely, and https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/03/14/811609026/the-new-coronavirus-can-live-on-surfaces-for-2-3-days-heres-how-to-clean-them suggests from a federal study that it can live on cardboard for up to 24 hours, and on plastic and stainless steel up to 72 hours.
Update: I’ve come down with something which I think may be COVID-19. Even if it isn’t, it goes to show that you can’t be too careful. (In addition to following a relaxed version of the above disinfection protocol, my roommate and I also went for a hike the other week, but we went off the trail in order to stay a solid 20 feet away from the few other hikers we saw.)
Definitely wishing I had ignored the skeptics in this thread and maintained full paranoia.
Well that sucks. Take care of yourself and stay sane during isolation!
BTW this video might be worth a watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5-dI74zxPg
The website for this product says it’s used for training in major hospitals, so I think it’s reasonable to guess that germs really do spread as easily as the video suggests.
Me and my roommate both work from home (and were doing that well before the pandemic). So packages, letters, and maybe the trash person touching our trash bins are essentially the only possible way for us to get infected. It takes less time & attention for us to be paranoid about external contacts than it takes for us to make sure to not touch our face, wash our hands frequently, etc. etc. Comments in this thread updated me in the direction that the procedure I described is excessive, but I’m still handling packages with gloves + bleaching the gloves afterwards (not right away but before using them again) and letting packages dry out for multiple days before touching them or their contents with bare hands. I actually think taking these precautions takes less time & attention than doing a sufficiently careful read of the literature to figure out if I can be less cautious (and remember, even if the literature says X, X is not necessarily true since studies don’t always replicate). I also think that as things peak, for those who are immunocompromised, you might as well be really paranoid since your life is at stake and most packages will probably be handled by someone who’s infectious.