A SpEcIaL Covidiot

[Argus]

I still wonder what happens with the dead germ bodies.

At that point, they're just random organic material, and will probably get eaten by bacteria at some point. Biologically, those are less interesting than bread crumbs or pollen grains or fallen eyelashes.

[SpyOne]

But...yanno how you start to think about weird things when things are sideways since forever?

What happens to the dead germ bodies after I use sanitizer? Where do the bodies go unless I rinse them off with water? Do I leave a trail of inert germ bodies all over my car because I always sanitize my hands before touching my keys. If I put lotion on my recently sanitized hands, am I now rubbing germ bodies all over?

Is it possible that I might need to stop thinking about this?

How many designers of everyday objects assumed that people handling them with hands wet with alcohol would be a rare occurrence they didn't need to ward against or warn people about.

I mean, some plastics are damaged by alcohol. Is the plastic on your car key one of them?
Vinyl is dissolved by alcohol. are you destroying your dashboard, door handles. seats just by touching them?
What everyday items are we going to find out are rapidly destroyed by touching them with hand sanitizer on your hands?

(I may be a bit sensitized to these worries because a lot of the paperwork I handle at work is on thermal paper that turns black or otherwise is ruined on contact with alcohol.)

[Slave to the Phone]

Oh hurray! Something new and also possibly irrational to worry about. I was getting pretty tired of stressing about the same old things over and over.

I really never thought about the damage I am possibly doing to rather expensive possessions.

I smoke almost every day, dissolving my butane lighter probably isn't a good thing either.

I stinkin' hates 2020.

[workerbee222]

I actually was worried about alcohol reacting with the dye in clothing but thankfully, nothing so far.

[Dreamstalker]

I have my own special bottle of hand sanitizer that I carry because of the risk of using methanol sanitizer. The results of rubbing/drinking methanol are not great.

I have my own bottles too. I would just stock up whenever I went to my fave independent natural market in the Before Times because....working with the public and public transit and all that (and I found one that didn't dry my hands and smelled nice). So when the shit hit the fan and nobody could find sanitizer we had all we needed to get us through that madness...and mom used to think I was nuts for buying a bottle every trip (they're cheap enough and I had one in my purse, one in my backpack, and one in my locker).

[Arcus]

...and mom used to think I was nuts for buying a bottle every trip

People always laugh at those that are ready... until they learn the hard way why you need to be ready.

With that said, we in the northern hemisphere are going to be entering the time of year when the cold will be chasing people into cramped indoor areas again. It would be wise to stock up on the supplies we normally use before a likely rush on them happens again. Easier to grab an extra now while they are on the shelves. Plus, if it turns out there isn't a rush, you can just use up the stock before buying more.

[Dreamstalker]

Yup. I explain it to her thusly: I stocked up on the stuff when I had extra $$, so now we don't have to spend money we don't have.

I remember that I sensed something was up in mid-February--a large section of our customer base was Asian and I saw way more people wearing face masks--and got my teams(s) to do gloves and handwashing 3 weeks before management actually figured things out (and reacted poorly).

[NorthernZel]

When I sensed where things were going I bought a large bottle of alcogel - I also have a small bottle I top up once a week and keep in my pocket for when I'm out and about. Thus a $9 bottle keeps us provided for about half a year. I've already bought another bottle to last through the winter.

[Minflick]

The tp (12 pack) I panic bought in mid-March is JUST running out now.... I work at an essential business, so I'm not home most of 5 days a week, but I didn't think it would last that long!

[Kit-Ginevra]

We're humans..

Ahem.... enough of that speciesist talk earth creature... Or else you may find yourself an involuntary visitor to our advanced civilisation you puny box of flesh

[Monterey Jack]

The tp (12 pack) I panic bought in mid-March is JUST running out now.... I work at an essential business, so I'm not home most of 5 days a week, but I didn't think it would last that long!

I bought a 24-pack of T.P. around late March, early April, and I still have about nine or ten rolls left.

[AkaiKitsune]

See the great part of having been in the military is that I learned crucial life skills that I can apply to the civvy world. Namely, how to distill alcohol. Which can then be reapplied in unconventional ways to make sanitizer. Living a life through better chemistry don’t think that’s what my DI had in mind but hey...

[emax4]

Oh, to be the prosecutor in this case..

Me: "Miss plaintiff, may I come over and shake your hand?"
Plaintiff: "Sure..." (extends her hand)
Me:" (proceeds to go over and shake her head/face)
Plaintiff: "WTF are you doing?"
Me: "I am shaking your hand!"
Plaintiff: "This is my face!"
Me: "Are you sure? Then what do you call the appendages at the end of your arms? (Holds out the hand sanitizer) What is the name of this?"
Plaintiff:"Hand sanitizer!"
Me: "Attention Jury, let the record show she clearly identified the bottle of hand sanitizer and sprayed it on her face. The prosecution rests..."

[MoonCat]

And to think some people still wonder why the world is in a mess. With people like that customer running around, wonder no more.

[Pixelated]

I take it that it never occurred to her to just ... get another face mask? I'm amassing quite a collection but she could also just buy a box of disposable ones.

I do have to wonder, though, how stupid you have to be to spray yourself in the face with hand sanitizer ...