topic Re: Just some thoughts in Community Chat

Just some thoughts

Imaoldhippie — Sun, 22 Mar 2020 14:17:07 GMT

While I am sure the state of New Hampshire is trying to be safe and stop this ugly virsus by not being allowed to bring your own grocery bags to the store. I think that just causes more anxiety for people. If your grocery bag has been at home and your household is not ill, the bag is not germ laiden.

If your bags are cloth launder them, if a stiff plastic wipe down or spray with disinfectant.

Please be aware that no place can be 100% sterile or germ free. Even operating rooms are not 100% sterile. This is fact.

Trying to disinfect your home is not necessary if no one is ill. Except your cutting board of couse.

Wiping down all boxes, cans, etc that comes into your home is probably not necessary either but at this time a good idea.

What about when you put the sacks in your car? Then get out your car keys, touch the steering wheel and gear shift. Should your car be sprayed with Lysol? Then when you get home put your car keys in your pocket or purse or key basket? Should all that be disinfected?

A person can drive theirself to insanity trying to be germ/virus free, its impossible.

Hope this ugliness goes away soon and we can get back to your normal lives.

God bless and stay healthy.

Re: Just some thoughts

LindaSal — Sun, 22 Mar 2020 14:20:39 GMT

@Imaoldhippie ITA. Everything within caution but also within reason.

Re: Just some thoughts

millieshops — Sun, 22 Mar 2020 14:30:25 GMT

@ImaoldhippieI think I get where your head is. I'm definitely more cleaning conscious than usual right now, but I'm actually not driving myself totally berserk either.

I'm actually more concerned whether hospitals and medical personnel will be available should I need them. Those of us who are in one of the target age groups for the virus are also in the target age group for myriad "everyday" old age medical issues.

Obviously what I can do about that concern is eat right, exercise sensibly, and concentrate on what I'm doing. Multi-tasking is a bad idea for me right now.

Re: Just some thoughts

stuyvesant — Sun, 22 Mar 2020 14:41:46 GMT

It's pretty invasive to be told what you can cart your groceries home in, I agree.

My city did away with one use plastic grocery bags just this month, and i bought two very fancy grocery bags on Amazon that I'm very proud of. There are thermal, insulated with zippers, and have a handle on each of the four sides.

And having spent that money, I hope I get to continue using them.

Re: Just some thoughts

lynne6was7 — Sun, 22 Mar 2020 14:55:16 GMT

You never know about your fellow shoppers. They may never wash their bags. Many people throw their bags on the conveyor ahead of the groceries. Mom may be out shopping while Dad and the kids are home sick. Mom may be sick too and just doesn't care about anyone else.

Regarding your question about the car, I don't touch my face while out. When I get home, I use a wipe to clean keys, garage door opener, radio and A/C buttons, gear shift, signal and wiper levers, steering wheel (360), and door handles inside and out.

Re: Just some thoughts

D Kay — Sun, 22 Mar 2020 15:05:01 GMT

You are assuming your bags are not "germladen" when you can have the virus without exhibiting symptoms. Also, once exposed, you may not have symptoms for up 10-14 days. I have heard this from more than one physician on TV.

Re: Just some thoughts

KingstonsMom — Sun, 22 Mar 2020 15:47:00 GMT

@Imaoldhippie

I guess I may look at it differently, you may know that your reusable bags are clean and sanitized by you, but what about other people's bags that are on the conveyor belt and bagging area, where your bags end up....it may NOW be germ laden for you to take home to you and your family?

Re: Just some thoughts

Nonametoday — Sun, 22 Mar 2020 15:49:16 GMT

@Imaoldhippie wrote:
While I am sure the state of New Hampshire is trying to be safe and stop this ugly virsus by not being allowed to bring your own grocery bags to the store. I think that just causes more anxiety for people. If your grocery bag has been at home and your household is not ill, the bag is not germ laiden.

If your bags are cloth launder them, if a stiff plastic wipe down or spray with disinfectant.

Please be aware that no place can be 100% sterile or germ free. Even operating rooms are not 100% sterile. This is fact.

Trying to disinfect your home is not necessary if no one is ill. Except your cutting board of couse.

Wiping down all boxes, cans, etc that comes into your home is probably not necessary either but at this time a good idea.

What about when you put the sacks in your car? Then get out your car keys, touch the steering wheel and gear shift. Should your car be sprayed with Lysol? Then when you get home put your car keys in your pocket or purse or key basket? Should all that be disinfected?

A person can drive theirself to insanity trying to be germ/virus free, its impossible.

Hope this ugliness goes away soon and we can get back to your normal lives.

God bless and stay healthy.

@Imaoldhippie I might be very careful compared to most households but I have immunoglobulin deficiency and DH has diabetes among other illnesses and I am much cleaner than what I have witnessed from restaurant people recently when I have gone in to pick up food. So I have tried to pick up food from grocers who do that service but it has all been eliminated in my area. I suppose they cannot stock their regular customers and all these hoarders too so the hoarders get first dibs.

Re: Just some thoughts

Nonametoday — Sun, 22 Mar 2020 15:50:31 GMT

@stuyvesant wrote:
It's pretty invasive to be told what you can cart your groceries home in, I agree.

My city did away with one use plastic grocery bags just this month, and i bought two very fancy grocery bags on Amazon that I'm very proud of. There are thermal, insulated with zippers, and have a handle on each of the four sides.

And having spent that money, I hope I get to continue using them.

@stuyvesant Be careful with those if you are not washing them after each use.

Re: Just some thoughts

Nonametoday — Sun, 22 Mar 2020 15:51:38 GMT

@lynne6was7 wrote:
You never know about your fellow shoppers. They may never wash their bags. Many people throw their bags on the conveyor ahead of the groceries. Mom may be out shopping while Dad and the kids are home sick. Mom may be sick too and just doesn't care about anyone else.

Regarding your question about the car, I don't touch my face while out. When I get home, I use a wipe to clean keys, garage door opener, radio and A/C buttons, gear shift, signal and wiper levers, steering wheel (360), and door handles inside and out.

@lynne6was7 That is why I say those thermal bags that are reusable are dangerous. They are put in places where other people are not careful and you bring the germs home with you. I don't mind the disposable bags myself. I prefer them over something that I have to wash after each use. I am not going to reuse a bag consistently.

Re: Just some thoughts

Spurt — Sun, 22 Mar 2020 15:53:54 GMT

@Imaoldhippie

I understand where you are coming from and agree with the points you are making....

Here's something else to consider----I understand we need to practice good hygiene to help stop the spread of the Coronavirus.....But the thing I wonder about is awhile back health professionals were warning us about the overuse of cleaning and anti-bacterial products which didnt help us build up our immune systems and could even cause viruses to mutate.....So while we are fighting Corona we may be preparing for something else down the line if we become too overzealous with our cleaning.... It seems its always something....

Im just doing extra handwashing and taking other common sense precautions, staying home and being prudent but not making myself a basket case over worrying about the need to overclean either....

*************************

Here's info from a health blog---

Regular soap is just as effective as anti-bacterial soap – scientific research proves it. Regular soap is cheaper and does not cause health and environmental issues.

No water available? The next best option is to use an alcohol-based sanitizer. Look for sanitizers with about 60% alcohol for best results. Does washing with water alone offer any protection? “No” say medical researchers. You need the soapy lather to lift the germs off your hands.

You may also want to shop around for soap with natural ingredients, rather than opting for chemical heavy soaps that may contain unsafe substances.

Antibacterial ingredients do not destroy all contaminants. As a defense tactic, the bacteria that survive may mutate and become resistant to the cleansing chemicals in the soap. Antibacterial residue often remains on hands even after washing. This provides the opportunity for superbugs to develop, which cannot be destroyed by antibiotics.

Re: Just some thoughts

SilleeMee — Sun, 22 Mar 2020 15:57:44 GMT

My medical and science background has taught me to treat every person and thing as if they could be infectious. Keeping my hands away from my face comes as second nature to me. But even with all the precautions I take, there will always be that chance of getting infected with whatever. Keep my immune system strong and don't do anything stupid...that's what I go by mostly.

Re: Just some thoughts

Imaoldhippie — Sun, 22 Mar 2020 16:29:06 GMT

One of the points I was trying to make was you cant be 100% germ or virus free at any time. Just do the best you can and go on with life.

Each one of us will do what she thinks is best.

Re: Just some thoughts

cotton4me — Sun, 22 Mar 2020 17:05:45 GMT

@Imaoldhippie

I appreciate your thoughts. I was driving myself crazy trying to sanitize every surface I touched, which is near impossible. I finally decided to just do the best I can.

Re: Just some thoughts

hckynut — Sun, 22 Mar 2020 17:12:36 GMT

@Imaoldhippie wrote:

Each one of us will do what "she" thinks is best.

@Imaoldhippie

I will add "He".

hckynut(john)

Re: Just some thoughts

SilleeMee — Sun, 22 Mar 2020 17:23:21 GMT

There good viruses and bacteria, too. Those may have even helped shape us into what we are today and are currently still with us as part of our immune system. There are still microbes unseen to us because they are too small to see. Some day there will come a time when will be able to see how it all fits together and be able to visualize just how important it is to keep balance in the natural world...something, I believe, went terribly wrong somewhere when we got this terrible virus to begin with, for example people living near bat caves because there are no other places to live...overpopulation.

Re: Just some thoughts

RollTide2008 — Sun, 22 Mar 2020 17:24:04 GMT

I haven’t carted home groceries in plastic bags in 10 years, but I happily did it this morning. If my market thinks it’s safer for their staff, I’ll play by the rules without arguing.

Re: Just some thoughts

noodleann — Sun, 22 Mar 2020 18:28:50 GMT

The checkers and stockers at the supermarkets are our allies in survival. They are on the front lines, in a different way from the medicos, but they're there, and far less protected. None of them was wearing gloves or a mask when I was shopping yesterday.

In light of that, I do not think it's fair to expect them to add to their germ burden by handling things like our own bags brought from home. If we want to use those bags, we should have the checker put things on top of the bag carousel after scanning, and we can put them in our bags. Or we should use the self-checkouts that seem to be ubiquitous these days.

The fact that "no one is ill" in a household doesn't mean that no one is carrying the virus, and people who are asymptomatic can transmit the virus. As pointed out, the incubation period is 2 to 14 days. Just as none of us would or should rely upon assurances of others that they're not sick, neither should we expect people to do so of us.

I am very grateful that these people are willing to hazard their health to provide for our needs, and we should do everything we can to keep them safe. This situation calls upon deep wells of compassion and patience. If we can just make sensible decisions and maintain flexibility of response as things change, we will get through it.