An Indirect Route of getting Covid-19 by Les May

AT intervals throughout the day Sky News (Channel 233) broadcasts a short information piece dealing with the key points in protecting ourselves against becoming infected with the Covid 19 causing virus. One of these is a reminder that the virus can remain infectious for a period if it contaminates hard surfaces, including metal surfaces. In her daily briefing a couple of days ago the Scottish First Minister, Nichola Sturgeon, reminded people to avoid touching hard surfaces when in the hospitality venues which have been allowed to remain open.

Unlike in the case of close contact between individuals which can result in direct transmission of the infection, the path of transmission from an infected person to a previously uninfected individual via a hard surface, is indirect. In both cases it involves the infected person ejecting minute virus laden droplets of mucus from the nose or of spittle from the mouth, by sneezing, coughing, singing, or even speaking excitedly or loudly. The largest of these rapidly fall to the ground and are unlikely to travel more than two metres. Smaller particles fall more slowly, persist in the air much longer and may be carried further by air currents caused by body movements.

If these minute droplets are inhaled they are likely to come in contact with the mucus membranes of the nose and throat; they can also drift into the eyes of bystanders. Each route provides a means for the virus to enter the body and initiate and infection.

Droplets which otherwise would fall to the ground can be intercepted by hard surfaces; supermarket trolley handles, door surfaces and handles, tables and chairs, milk bottles and metal cans… the list of things with hard surfaces which have the potential to hold infectious virus particles is endless. In the worst cases virus particles can remain viable and able to reproduce within the human body, for up to three days.

Anyone who comes in contact with a surface carrying virus particles is in danger of picking them up on their hands. Touching their face with a virus contaminated hand can result in a Covid 19 infection becoming established in the body, even though they have not spent any significant time in close contact with an infected person. No ‘App’, nor ‘Track and Trace’ can alert us to the fact that an infected person shed virus particles onto a surface which we later came into contact with. The ONLY defence against this is to avoid touching our face and either wash our hands regularly with soap and water, or apply a sanitiser gel containing at least 60% alcohol, every time we have touched a surface in locations outside our own home.

The importance of this indirect method of passing on the infection has been overshadowed by the problems of getting the ‘App’ to work at all and ‘Track and Trace’ to work effectively. We need to reinstate it.

Do I practice what I preach? Yes I do! Before any bottle or can is allowed into the house it is sprayed with dilute bleach (one part bleach plus ten to twenty parts water) and left for a few minutes before being rinsed with water. Anything else is quarantined for three days. If anyone other than my wife or myself touches a door handle, door knocker, mail flap, bell push is is wiped over with soapy water or alcohol. In the case of our waste bins on collection day before they are brought back into the garden the handles and flap of each of each bin is sprayed with dilute bleach.

Pedantic? Yes! But I make my own rules about what I think will keep my wife and myself safe. That way there’s no confusion about what is and what is not ‘allowed’.

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