Infection through Food? Wife Scared Me, and now I'm spiraling

[MrMeseeks]

Hello,
I was washing produce that was brought from the grocery (I used soap and water) and as I was foaming up a piece of fruit, some of the soap and water splashed my face. My wife looks at me with this horrified look on her face, I think she's being silly, but she mentions that's how this can spread. Now, I try to be the level headed one and mention that 1 the virus would have been washed away by now and 2 it doesn't travel/survive on food (from what I've read). However, as time passes, I find my mind spiraling out of control about the possibility that it could be true. Is it possible that she may be right?

[AnnieBrooke]

It seems like your medical issue is not so much the virus (which you yourself at the time knew the correct information about) as it is whatever caused you to "spiral." Anxiety is a health issue all by itself.

People will often write in describing panic about a health issue using a tone of that suggests their panic is normal or immutable. But it's not inevitable, you don't have to "spiral" about things that don't merit worry.  Reacting anxiously is a habit that you can learn to manage. My suggestion is to ask your doctor for a referral to a counselor who deals with anxiety or medical anxiety, so you can learn some tools to deal with the anxiety reactions you have.

[AnnieBrooke]

I hope this didn't sound critical, what was trying to say is that if you can learn to manage your medical-anxiety reaction, life will be easier not just now over Covid-19 but also later, in the face of other things medical.

I hear from a lot of women in the DNA/Paternity community who have had the most reliable DNA tests, and they still say "But ... what if the tests are -- WRONG !?!?!?!" It's like they are in such a blind panic they can't even intake that a reliable test from a top lab said they have nothing to worry about. When we talk about it, they say "It's my anxiety getting the best of me," as though illogical anxiety reactions are just a cross they have to bear in life.

But nobody has to be stuck with the tendency to "spiral." Anxiety reactions can be managed, professionals in the mental-health field can help a person train himself out of having that response. Medical anxiety is such a b---h to live with that you are well advised to treat it as its own problem and try to get rid of the tendency. And for heaven's sake, tell your wife who is washing foods with soap to knock it off. If she really feels she must wash food, try white vinegar.  :)

Good luck!

[Paxiled]

While the virus does adhere to certain surfaces, the time it does differs depending on the surface, and there are no known cases if what I'm hearing is true of it spreading this way.  Almost always it has spread the same way the flu does, by being in contact with someone who has it.  Mostly by cough or sneezing or just close contact.  So the surface thing is so far theoretical, again as far as I know.  By the time you get to eating your food most likely the virus has either died or gotten too weak to infect you whether you wash your food or not.  Now, I personally don't use soap on my food,  I can't imagine destroying the flavor that way, but I also don't eat food I just bought.  I either wait a couple of days or the food is cooked, destroying the virus.  This isn't something to worry about.  The fact is, the virus is around, maybe we're all going to get it and most of us won't even know it and maybe we won't, but adding anxiety to it will just make the whole thing worse.  Peace.

[MrMeseeks]

Absolutely, spot on with the anxiety, I need to calm myself down. Thank you.

[specialmom]

I'm going to go out on a limb and say this is unlikely.  It does spread from surfaces but this is much more of an airborne virus. And washing fruit with something splashing up on you sounds really hard to imagine.  All we can do is the best we can do and you were washing fruit.  Personally I'd not worry about this.

[MrMeseeks]

Thank you

[AnxiousNoMore]

It is a novel virus so we learn more about it each day.
Soap destroys the spiky part of the virus (I presume you have seen a picture of it with the spikes sticking out) that are necessary for it to adhere and water then is able to mechanically move the virus away from your skin. The spikes are why this virus is so infectious, but it can't adhere without them so it seems you are ok. One expert said if you can't get soap but want to wash, just mechanical washing action (your hands rubbing against each other with the water running to move whatever you dislodged away from your hands) might be good enough, but for sure keep using soap to be sure.
So I wouldn't worry about soap splash, considering how many known methods of transmission of it occur all day long, yet somehow China with massive numbers of infected people a month ago has basically ridded themselves of this virus a week ago, just by social distancing and washing. Did it get into your eyes or lips?

[MrMeseeks]

Thanks, I appreciate that. It was my eyes.

[mkh9]

I had a similar thing happen to be. The soap kills the virus right away if you rubbed it. So I wouldn't worry.  I got it in my eye, and mouth. LOL
mkh9