4 ms·

It seems like I could go to great lengths to be a germaphobe and take extraordinary precautions at every turn, or I could not do that at all and just wing it, a

It seems like I could go to great lengths to be a germaphobe and take extraordinary precautions at every turn, or I could not do that at all and just wing it, and either way I will get between one and two mild-to-moderate head colds every year. And this is in NYC where I spend half my life in crowded spaces. Just doesn't seem worth the hassle to give a shit.

deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
Scoundreller 3y ago
Are you wearing N95s everywhere or just focussing on hand hygiene? I thought COVID busted the whole “wash your hands to avoid the flu” thing for viral respiratory diseases.
- _yb2s 3y ago
  No, covid does not often spread that way but a large number of other common viruses do.
  - Scoundreller 3y ago
    Which viral respiratory ones? I thought most of them (influenza, parainfluenza, RSV and all the other coronaviruses) were enveloped viruses like covid-19. I guess adenoviruses would be the exception.
    - _yb2s 3y ago
      Look up “fomite transmission.” Rhinovirus colds do transmit that way. Most are also transmitted by aerosols, so you are correct in that… people were wrong that thought you could virtually eliminate virus transmission by just washing your hands a lot.
    - melagonster 3y ago
      for example, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norovirus https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norovirus alcohol can not kill everything.
      - Scoundreller 3y ago
        Yea, because norovirus is a non-enveloped virus, unlike coronaviruses, influenza, parainfluenza and rhinoviruses. Also it’s what contributes to norovirus being primarily a GI virus (it gets past extreme pH of the stomach).
_yb2s 3y ago
As the dad of a 6 y/o… I envy your 1-2 colds per year, it’s more like 1-3 a month for me. I WFH and never go to crowded spaces.
- darkwizard42 3y ago
  Yeah, I empathize with that... kids bring home everything. I think actually in your case it makes even LESS sense to worry about washing hands in public places because your kid probably gives you so many of the latest germs you are probably equipped to fight off anything you might get in public...
- hulitu 3y ago
  > I WFH and never go to crowded spaces. Maybe you should from time to time. Your immunity cannot be trained without real world bacteria and viruses. And kindergartens are real viruses and bacteria incubators.
  - _yb2s 3y ago
    So you are saying 3 colds a month isn’t enough? I should modify my lifestyle with the expressed purpose of getting more? For my health?!?
  - pintxo 3y ago
    Didn’t Covid tell us there is no such thing as training our immune system?
    - avery17 3y ago
      No... It didn't. It told us things arent black and white but everyone seems to have just picked a color and died on that hill instead of considering that there might actually be nuance.
      - pintxo 3y ago
        Are you sure? I recall that there was lots of debate on the topic of „training“ an immune system. And the conclusion was that such a thing does not (scientifically observed) exist. If it does, I‘d actually be interested in the biology behind it.

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

Scoundreller 3y ago

Are you wearing N95s everywhere or just focussing on hand hygiene? I thought COVID busted the whole “wash your hands to avoid the flu” thing for viral respiratory diseases.

_yb2s 3y ago
No, covid does not often spread that way but a large number of other common viruses do.
- Scoundreller 3y ago
  Which viral respiratory ones? I thought most of them (influenza, parainfluenza, RSV and all the other coronaviruses) were enveloped viruses like covid-19. I guess adenoviruses would be the exception.
  - _yb2s 3y ago
    Look up “fomite transmission.” Rhinovirus colds do transmit that way. Most are also transmitted by aerosols, so you are correct in that… people were wrong that thought you could virtually eliminate virus transmission by just washing your hands a lot.
  - melagonster 3y ago
    for example, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norovirus https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norovirus alcohol can not kill everything.
    - Scoundreller 3y ago
      Yea, because norovirus is a non-enveloped virus, unlike coronaviruses, influenza, parainfluenza and rhinoviruses. Also it’s what contributes to norovirus being primarily a GI virus (it gets past extreme pH of the stomach).

_yb2s 3y ago

As the dad of a 6 y/o… I envy your 1-2 colds per year, it’s more like 1-3 a month for me. I WFH and never go to crowded spaces.

darkwizard42 3y ago
Yeah, I empathize with that... kids bring home everything. I think actually in your case it makes even LESS sense to worry about washing hands in public places because your kid probably gives you so many of the latest germs you are probably equipped to fight off anything you might get in public...
hulitu 3y ago
> I WFH and never go to crowded spaces. Maybe you should from time to time. Your immunity cannot be trained without real world bacteria and viruses. And kindergartens are real viruses and bacteria incubators.
- _yb2s 3y ago
  So you are saying 3 colds a month isn’t enough? I should modify my lifestyle with the expressed purpose of getting more? For my health?!?
- pintxo 3y ago
  Didn’t Covid tell us there is no such thing as training our immune system?
  - avery17 3y ago
    No... It didn't. It told us things arent black and white but everyone seems to have just picked a color and died on that hill instead of considering that there might actually be nuance.
    - pintxo 3y ago
      Are you sure? I recall that there was lots of debate on the topic of „training“ an immune system. And the conclusion was that such a thing does not (scientifically observed) exist. If it does, I‘d actually be interested in the biology behind it.