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Shellback Squid

(9,850 posts)
Thu Dec 25, 2025, 11:33 AM 8 hrs ago

Need some advice, I caught a bug when travelling last week, it's persistent so I am not going

to the family meetup as three people are over 75 and I dread getting them sick too, now I have a cheese flight, wine and all the presents I bought them.
I'm considering dropping them off but worried I'll leave the virus on the packages, I have had all the shots this season too.

Should I wait until I am better or should I not worry so much and drop them off?

3 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Need some advice, I caught a bug when travelling last week, it's persistent so I am not going (Original Post) Shellback Squid 8 hrs ago OP
I would drop them off if you are up to it. Polly Hennessey 8 hrs ago #1
isolation is the way. good luck Tetrachloride 8 hrs ago #2
Here's some info re- how long viruses last on dry surfaces: snot 2 hrs ago #3

Polly Hennessey

(8,516 posts)
1. I would drop them off if you are up to it.
Thu Dec 25, 2025, 11:48 AM
8 hrs ago

Doubt they would catch anything from the packages. Others could handle and open packages for the elderly three. Feel better soon which means take care of yourself. 🤗

snot

(11,434 posts)
3. Here's some info re- how long viruses last on dry surfaces:
Thu Dec 25, 2025, 05:34 PM
2 hrs ago
Here’s how long [Covid] typically lasts on some common surfaces:

Glass: 5 days.
Wood: 4 days.
Plastic: 3 days.
Stainless-steel: 3 days.
Cardboard: 1 day.
Copper surfaces: 4 hours.

It’s important to know, though that there’s a difference between a virus “lasting” on a surface and a virus “lasting-to-the-point-that-they-can-make-you-sick.”

“We may be able to find some viable virus after a few days, but it’s thousands of times less than what was originally deposited,” Dr. Esper points out. “As soon as the virus hits something that’s not alive and certainly not a human, it’s not going to do very well.”

So, just because the virus is detectable on a surface doesn’t necessarily mean that there’s enough there to infect you. Remember that viruses start to die when they’re not in the body, so the amount of live virus decreases over time on surfaces."

More at https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-long-will-coronavirus-survive-on-surfaces .

You could drop the items off but warn everyone that they might want to either sanitize them or quarantine them for bit?

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