Recent comments in /f/askscience

Cannablitzed t1_j3f8zvg wrote

Reply to Are gaiters at least partially effective at blocking aerosols? by Lokarin

-some guy- is a tool. Any layers of fabric will be better than nothing at inhibiting a virus from getting to your airway, even if the fabric is only catching .0001% of particulates. Where it becomes iffy (worse than nothing) is when that fabric is a) not being sterilized often enough or b) if one side of said fabric (like the vinyl side) is holding a large viral/bacterial load from the external environment, and is then put over ones airway or c) said fabric is infused with bacteria/fungus/viruses from the wearers own moist exhalations/sweaty skin. See point a. Most infectious bugs prefer warm, moist environments so air your neckwear out often, wash it frequently and in a pinch, spray it with Lysol.

Reality is, nobody is seriously wearing a gaiter for viral protection, there are medical grade masks for that. Feel free to continue recommending gaiters as a deterrent to frostbite, and suggest washing them often.

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1UpQuark t1_j3f8w3p wrote

Reply to How long does HIV remain infectious outside the body? by Terradubia

In summary -HIV can survive on surfaces for extended periods, especially if associated with cells (blood, sperm). A consideration is how much HIV is present -low tiger or high titer. See This link is to a review (1991) of survival in various environments (including whole blood). (The link title is wrong but the link is good) https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Syed-Sattar/publication16877227_Rotavirus_inactivation_by_chemical_disinfectants_and_antiseptics_used_in_hospitals/links/59df5783aca27258f7d77fb6/Rotavirus-inactivation-by-chemical-disinfectants-and-antiseptics-used-in-hospitals.pdf

This from a primary journal article: Journal of clinical microbiology 32 (2), 571-574, 1994 Cell-free and cell-associated human immunodeficiency virus cultures suspended in 10% serum remained infectious for several weeks at room temperature. The stability was further increased when cell-associated virus was suspended in neat serum. When dried onto a glass coverslip, virus remained infectious for several days, although cell-associated virus lost infectivity more rapidly than cell-free virus.

Happily-no evidence of transmission via a surface in non-healthcare related situations has been shown. A few cases of “mystery” transmission in healthcare settings were noted. Don’t forget-the dried material would have to contact mucosal membranes, open wounds, or genital mucosal linings if sufficient amount to causes infection.

Hope this helps.

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