Hand sanitising and fomites

Boulevardier · 04-04-2021 11:27pm #1

I am still religiously applying hand-sanitiser a couple of times every day, but is this still considered necessary?

Some commentators are saying that catching the virus by touching objects that infected people may also have touched (fomites) is not really much of a danger after all.

Also, is there any advice on how long your hands stay infection-resistant after applying sanitiser, e.g. if I touch items in a supermarket 3 hours after using sanitiser, am I still protected or is there an effective time limit?

Boulevardier · 05-04-2021 10:35am

Bump

RoseStick · 05-04-2021 11:04am

A lot on hand hygiene is about protecting other people from your own germs. Hands can go to thd mouth many times a day like with eating and some people take their hands to their mouths while talking too. It's about protecting others incase body fluids like salvia contain any virus.

It's important to wash or sanitise or both after touching common surfaces like handrails, door handles, pedestrian crossing buttons, etc.

I witnessed someone take his hand to his nose and wipe his nose all along his hand and arm until his nose ran dry.
Over a year into this pandemic and some people are still coughing into their hands instead of using a tissue or their elbows. Hand hygiene isn't always followed after coughing into hands. It's easy to see how virus and bacteria can spread.

amdaley28 · 05-04-2021 1:01pm

Sanitise your hands every opportunity you get.
It helps protect both you & others.

J Mysterio · 05-04-2021 2:00pm

I've been wondering about this too. I've also been religous about sanitising after touching surfaces and I have sanitised things like shopping etc., which is probably way overboard, but is now pretty routine after a year. Should probably stop that as I can see objectively that it's insane, but yet...

Dial Hard · 05-04-2021 2:06pm

Both the WHO and CDC have said that fomite transmission is no longer considered much of a vector for infection. I've always considered the constant hand sanitising overkill and it's beyond pointless at this stage.

Washing your hands was always better practice anyway. Do it every time you come home from the shops etc. Wean yourself off the sanitiser.

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00251-4

CIARAN_BOYLE · 05-04-2021 2:26pm

The key thing is hand to face.

If I go shopping I sanitise I put on a mask I don't touch my face.

I do my shopping I go outside. I sanitise and take my mask off.

I don't need to sanitise again until just before I touch my face again.

If you don't touch your face at all you can probably get away without sanitising at all.

shtpEdthePlum · 05-04-2021 2:31pm

J Mysterio wrote: »

I've been wondering about this too. I've also been religous about sanitising after touching surfaces and I have sanitised things like shopping etc., which is probably way overboard, but is now pretty routine after a year. Should probably stop that as I can see objectively that it's insane, but yet...

Nope, you're not the only one. We're also still doing it. I'm high risk and the OH isn't. I've gotten my first jab so after the second we'll stop.

I was increasingly thinking it was overkill but then a family member said the other week.

"It's like the hand washing thing, we're not doing that at all anymore"...

Yeah people are gross and filthy and it's worth a little more inconvenience to ensure that i don't get covid off their manky unwashed hands. Roll on the end of July.

GazzaL · 05-04-2021 2:36pm

I don't use hand sanitiser unless I'm in a medical facility.

Wash your hands and don't touch yourself in public like a normal person.

Boulevardier · 05-04-2021 3:40pm

Does anyone know how long a rub of hand-sanitiser stsys effective?

Dial Hard · 05-04-2021 3:52pm

Boulevardier wrote: »

Does anyone know how long a rub of hand-sanitiser stsys effective?

Until you touch something else, presumably. It kills germs already present on your hands, there's no prophylactic effect that I'm aware of.

Stark · 05-04-2021 4:03pm

The constant sanitising is a bit of an overkill. Have a friend who I meet outside for coffee every now and again and he stresses me out by sanitising every couple of minutes despite not having touched anything but himself in that couple of minutes.

Washing your hands in general though... Well it's a bit like you don't need to take a shower every day to avoid covid but that doesn't mean you shouldn't do it anyway out of respect for people around you (ya manky ****)

Mrs OBumble · 05-04-2021 10:55pm

They're now saying that formites aren't much of a risk for Covid-19 after all. Fair enough - this time last year they didn't know, and there are lots of viruses where hand transmission is a big issue.

Bu tit makes sense to keep up good hand hygiene to reduce spreading lots of other illnesses. Good is likely good-enough, we don't need excellent.

And as we were saying last March "Last week we did cough-etiquette, this week it's hand-hygiene, next week - indicators!"

RoseStick · 05-04-2021 11:20pm

If everyone adopted poorer hand hygiene would fomites then become an issue?

ginoginelli · 05-04-2021 11:22pm

The cdc, edc and who downgraded the risk last summer. However, since the new variants they say formites could be more significant.

Best of just playing it safe until vaccine. I rarely touch my face anymore and sanitize frequently. It's become a habit, I'm on auto pilot doing it at this stage, so it doesnt even bother me.

NSAman · 05-04-2021 11:27pm

Have continued to sanitise my hands after being anywhere that is not my home. Shopping .... come out sanitise hands anything that has been touched by me in the car. Don’t take mask off or touch my face until sanitizer has been applied.

Same is touching petrol pump, etc etc.

It may be overkill but cannot help thinking who touched this prior to me. I am not a germaphobe..:)

Dickie10 · 05-04-2021 11:38pm

im gone to the dogs with hands sanitizing. never ever do it going in or coming out of a shop, id regularly wash the hands alright , every time i come in from the yard, but thats for Weils disease and stuff like e-coli. must try an remember next week back at school

arbour · 05-04-2021 11:42pm

Usually have a cold 2-3 times per year. Haven't had any since December 2019.. the sanitiser etc has to be working in addition to other advice

[Deleted User] · 05-04-2021 11:51pm

Dickie10 wrote: »

im gone to the dogs with hands sanitizing. never ever do it going in or coming out of a shop, id regularly wash the hands alright , every time i come in from the yard, but thats for Weils disease and stuff like e-coli. must try an remember next week back at school

Know someone who got weils disease from a leg cut walking in high grass, was very ill that’s a serious one, I always wash hands well after bringing in blocks for fire just in case. Slightly off topic I know. But on hands in general good hand washing, wipe down surfaces, wash floors in the house just generally be clean. Some of the hand sanitizer in shops is too strong burns the hands, not often but happened a few times.

amdaley28 · 06-04-2021 2:46pm

NSAman wrote: »

Have continued to sanitise my hands after being anywhere that is not my home. Shopping .... come out sanitise hands anything that has been touched by me in the car. Don’t take mask off or touch my face until sanitizer has been applied.

Same is touching petrol pump, etc etc.

It may be overkill but cannot help thinking who touched this prior to me. I am not a germaphobe..:)

Its protected you so far so keep doing it.

isup · 07-04-2021 12:17am

J Mysterio wrote: »

I've been wondering about this too. I've also been religous about sanitising after touching surfaces and I have sanitised things like shopping etc., which is probably way overboard, but is now pretty routine after a year. Should probably stop that as I can see objectively that it's insane, but yet...

We still sanitise the shopping , the wheelie bin handles , doorbell ect. Can't see it stopping anytime soon.
I was wondering if anyone else was still doing the shopping

[Deleted User] · 07-04-2021 3:08am

Boulevardier wrote: »

Does anyone know how long a rub of hand-sanitiser stsys effective?

it takes sanitisor 30 secs to work. soap instantly kills and is much better. its effective until touch something again that you think could have covid. No cases proven.in world from formite infection after a year. Not saying cant hapen but not v likely. Most cases seem to be person to person from live virus droplets/aerosols into nose. I think nose protection is more important than hands tbh. I take a nasal spray several times a day. Hand sanitisor for the nose. A few on the market taffix, viraleeze boots dual defence. More in pipeline.

Rubberchikken · 07-04-2021 3:19am

Once you remove the mask, then you either wash your hands or sanitize.

[Deleted User] · 07-04-2021 3:19am

isup wrote: »

We still sanitise the shopping , the wheelie bin handles , doorbell ect. Can't see it stopping anytime soon.
I was wondering if anyone else was still doing the shopping

me. but in my heart i know its total overkill. when im vaccinated will still sanitise wheelie bin.no more sanitise shopping.i quarantine shopping mostly but still a real pain. only another say three months. then try to get back to 2019 handwashing and cleaning.

GazzaL · 07-04-2021 6:48am

I find it amazing reading some of these posts.

Is there not a risk of damaging your nasal tissue from overuse of nasal sprays?

Why would you sanitise wheelie bin handles/lids and not just wash your hands after touching them?

Normal good hygiene practices, i.e. washing your hands before you prepare and eat food, not touching your mouth/nose/eyes with unwashed hands etc. should be enough for almost anyone.

Mrs OBumble · 07-04-2021 10:28am

GazzaL wrote: »

I find it amazing reading some of these posts.

The mental health impacts of Covid-19 will be with some of the population for a long time.

J Mysterio · 07-04-2021 10:44am

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

The mental health impacts of Covid-19 will be with some of the population for a long time.

Like many of your comments that I've seen, this is very patronising and obnoxious.

People have very good reason to take serious precautions against Covid and it's just not reasonable to call into question someone's mental health for how they have tried to manage a deadly pandemic.

Boulevardier · 07-04-2021 4:30pm

I sometimes rub hand sanitiser around my mouth and nose in the hope that it will neutralise some droplets. It may be a waste of time, but it comforts me to think it just might make a difference.

Mrs OBumble · 07-04-2021 9:46pm

J Mysterio wrote: »

People have very good reason to take serious precautions against Covid and it's just not reasonable to call into question someone's mental health for how they have tried to manage a deadly pandemic.

Twelve months ago, we didn't know if surface transmission was an issue or not. So at that time, strict hand-hygiene was a very smart precaution to take. Quarantining groceries was perhaps even sensible.

But given what the scientists have now observed, we know that it's not a particular issue at all, for this virus. Keeping up the extreme levels of hand hygiene is just not necessary. So when people say they're doing it anyway, it suggests that they have an anxiety (or similar) issue.

I know from professional contacts that the mental health services are expecting increased workload over the next few years.

Corholio · 07-04-2021 10:03pm

Hand sanitising shaming is the thing now it seems, the leap that someone who does must have something wrong with them is outrageous but sadly not surprising in what this pandemic has brought out in some people vileness wise.

I never really used sanitiser much up until about 2-3 years ago due to work and it became a habit since then even before covid. Noticed much less colds etc than I used to get. Keep doing it if you choose to.

[Deleted User] · 07-04-2021 11:04pm

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

The mental health impacts of Covid-19 will be with some of the population for a long time.

Maybe one could be obsessive compulsive disorder ( OCD ) Time will tell I suppose.

Hand sanitising and fomites

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