The Lancet: Exaggerated risk of COVID from fomite transmission?!

[thewayne]

Basic argument being that the testing takes place with ridiculously high concentrations of infectious material that can't take place in reality.

Myself, handling inter-library loan material, all of my books spend at least five or more days in the mail or in courier transit. I'm not isolating those materials. I'm wearing a mask and being careful taking them out of their packaging and disposing of said USPS packaging, and I wash my hands thoroughly with soap when I'm done. And I've been doing this for three or four months. We're continuing handling in-person and book drop returns with three-day isolation routines.

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(20)30561-2/fulltext

Comments

[silveradept]

There's a good chance that for most operations, we could do fewer days of quarantine and be fine, but this is one of those situations where overkill is warranted, because of the terrible that happens if you end up getting infected with the virus. We're on four days of quarantine, plus one for disc items as a just-in-case, since they're in sealed-ish plastic.

[thewayne]

Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you, or, sometimes paranoia is a virtue.