Still Disinfecting Surfaces? It Might Not Be Worth It

[tmm99]

Did you not wash your hands pre-COVID?

Of course, I did. I still do. My statement wasn't really a question. One of the reasons we wash our hands is because we touch dirty (contaminated) surfaces. If surfaces aren't dirty like some people say, my logic says we do not need to wash hands either. I do understand that they're reporting that COVID-19 probably isn't as transmissible via surface as they initially thought, but to me, the verdict is still out. Truth changes over time with new findings, and it'll be great if some study definitely says you absolutely CANNOT catch COVID from surfaces. (To me "scrubbing and disinfecting might not be necessary." isn't definitive enough). BTW, we already knew that the main risk was with droplets and aerosols to the mouth and nose. Nobody ever said that the surface was the biggest risk.

Personally, I clean my packages for the same reason I wash my hands. If I can get infected (by something) by licking my hand that's dirty (because I touched something dirty), I want to clean packages so my hands won't become dirty when I touch them. (It's either that or I wash my hands every time I touch something that isn't clean, which would be too much work.)

Let's say you touched a door nob in a public bathroom. A door nob is a surface. Would you wash your hands afterwards? I would. Let's say a bunch of people touched a particular food package at a grocery store. Is that any different from the door nob? My answer to that is no. Most likely, not as many people touched the food package, but to me, it's the same logic. I didn't clean packages before COVID, but I do now (I'm more aware of germs) and I no longer rip bags, etc open with my teeth when I cannot open them by hand.

 

[Sunset]

Of course, I did. I still do. My statement wasn't a real question. One of the reasons we wash our hands is because we touch dirty (contaminated) surfaces. If surfaces aren't dirty like some people say, my logic says we do not need to wash hands either. I do understand that they're reporting that COVID-19 probably isn't as transmissible via surface as they initially thought, but to me, the verdict is still out. Truth changes over time with new findings, and it'll be great if some study definitely says you absolutely CANNOT catch COVID from surfaces. (To me "scrubbing and disinfecting might not be necessary." isn't definitive enough). BTW, we already knew that the main risk was with droplets and aerosols to the mouth and nose. Nobody ever said that the surface was the biggest risk.

Personally, I clean my packages for the same reason I wash my hands. If I can get infected (by something) by licking my hand that's dirty (because I touched something dirty), I want to clean packages so my hand won't become dirty when I touch them. (It's either that or I wash my hands every time I touch something that isn't clean, which would be too much work.)

Let's say you touched a door nob in a public bathroom. A door nob is a surface. Would you wash your hands? I would. Let's say a bunch of people touched a particular food package at a grocery store. Is that any different from the door nob? My answer to that is no. Most likely, not as many people touched the food package, but to me, it's the same logic. I didn't clean packages before COVID, but I do now (I'm more aware of germs) and I no longer rip bags, etc open with my teeth when I cannot open them by hand.

+1

In a few more years, we may have the real truths, substantiated about this virus.
For now, I treat everything said as a current best guess subject to change.

So I'll continue to wash my groceries or set them aside for 7 days to age out, since nobody can guarantee I won't catch covid from the surfaces.

I'm also guilty of looking both ways when crossing a one way street.

Better safe than sorry.

 

[Amethyst]

You raise a good point. Now that we have a wild virus that infects people easily, damages many of them and kills quite a few, many of us are more conscious of infection prevention than we used to be, which is all to the good.

(Rip bags open with teeth? Makes my poor teeth hurt to think of it. We have kitchen scissors for that )

I didn't clean packages before COVID, but I do now (I'm more aware of germs) and I no longer rip bags, etc open with my teeth when I cannot open them by hand.

 

[Chuckanut]

Back in the summer they were still saying COVID-19 could survive on surfaces for hours, if not days. The experts have gotten far more wrong about the virus than they've gotten right since the outbreak. And they wonder why so many just shrugged after a period of time and started ignoring them, sadly leading to a bigger spike in the virus now than predicted earlier this year.

I would not quite agree. I think the reporting of what the experts said was often wrong and/or incomplete more often than the reporting was accurate. And don't get me started on the politicians who use the word 'science' as though it means the absolute truth written down on the sacred scrolls.

Listening to podcasts that feature various real experts on disease and corona virus has taught me that they almost always qualify what they say with phrases like "we need more study in that area", "it seems correct but could be wrong", "we don't know for certain but the best advice at this time is....".

About the only thing that was unqualified was "wash your hands often".

 

[timo2]

The first few months of the Pandemic ended up being similar to an international game of 'The Floor is Lava' with regards to surfaces. And 'old hat' for those of us with OCD. It was great having you all along for the ride for a while ..I always washed my hands like is now recommended. That said, and as others have pointed out, this whole manic cleaning exercise showed us that some situations and/or products purchased or delivered are grimey in ways not previously noticed. But not at the 'everything you touch will kill you' level of attention.

The most entertaining events for me was when public spaces said they would 'deep clean' the facility. So that means they never cleaned before? (we knew that anyway). And when the TV showed the 'deep cleaning', it was just average
cleaning of the corners that had never been cleaned since opening day of that establishment.