Coronovirus prevention

[John52]

Just been to a church (open for visitors but no services) took my hat off, and then it occurred to me the hat makes a useful glove to open door handles.

So if there is any virus on the handle it only goes on the top of your hat.

As I understand it, virus only survives for an hour or so outside the body, so it should have died before anyone touches the top of your hat.

Would this work?

[Conrad]

My son found this info on how long Covid-19 can survive on different surfaces (note source is New England Journal of Medicine, so believable):-

 

Air - 3 hours,

Copper - 4 hours,

Cardboard - 24 hours,

Stainless steel - 2-3 days,

Polypropylene plastic - 3 days.

 

Hats not listed! But John's trick sounds as though would reduce the risk a lot. My trick for a long time has been to use tissue paper on public toilet door handle and throw it away. Can also wait until someone else comes along to open the door, ok at a church but may be seen as a bit dodgy in toilets!

 

My two other tips - use your keys on PIN pads, the metal will connect to and make touch pads work at eg cash machines, which are bound to be covered in all sorts of germs. Lift buttons in hospitals long ago found to be source of E. coli.

- had a home delivery box challenging us today. I opened it with my bare hands, my wife took the goods out, which had been in there hopefully long enough for any Covid-19 if there to have died, I then put the box in recycling bag already placed next to me and washed my hands with my wife's help with taps and soap.

[Barryd999]

Not heard the "air" one before but the other stats sound about the same as what my "expert" friend was telling me today. If its in the air its only spread by droplets I thought which will land on you, surfaces or the ground. I am not aware it floats around airborne all over the place for three hours which really would make it rife within weeks.

 

Any stuff thats arrived here in packaging from computers to Tea Ive left just in the doorway for 24 hours. generally cardboard.

 

The main thing Ive avoided using is money, not that I ever used it much anyway but imagine all the hands thats been through. Contactless!! Always. I dont think Ive used any actual money for about two months. I am however sick 8-)

[John52]

DJ on Radio Cornwall says he has been told if someone coughed virus on to his desk it could survive anywhere between a few seconds and 72 hours 8-)

It appears the virus doesn't survive so long on absorbent fabric. Living things die without water as we would, so perhaps the less moisture the better?

 

[John52]

Have since learned that the virus reduces with time, so the longer its been on the surface the less chance there is of it doing you harm. (might even do you some good if the dose is small enough to stimulate your immune system without being big enough to hurt you?)

Rightly or wrongly, I've taken to wearing cotton gloves instead of plastic when going to the supermarket.

Apart from denying the virus water, I'm guessing that its less likely to transfer from fabric to my face or whatever if I absentmindedly touch something else. Because when you get some oil or other gunge on a nonabsorbent surface and touch it - you get the gunge on your finger. Wheras if the gunge is on absorbent cloth it tends to stay there because the absorbent cloth attracts it more than your skin.?