RISK of HIV and HEPC

[Richard596]

I work in a medical lab and today one of my colleagues broke a vial that contained some blood, small quantity. About an hour later I found some broken glass on the laboratory floor and accidentally one piece entered my shoe, I did not noticed it inside my shoe until a few minutes later that I was noticed I had something inside.  It did not break  my foot skin but the area was red.
Do you think is there any risk of hiv or hepatits c? The glass was on that surface for some time.
Thank you very much.

[mkh9]

I'm not going to speculate. In this case it is not likely. If you are worried report it. But if the skin was not broken you have no exposure. If you are not sure report it and get tested.
mkh9

[Richard596]

But I always thought that hiv cannot be passed from object to object, in this specific case from glass to glass..

[mkh9]

Hard to know. It is speculation and doesn't help your anxiety. I wouldn't worry about it!
mkh9

[Richard596]

Thanks for your reply.

One last question, if a little piece of glass stained with hiv positive blood comes in contact with a second piece of glass, will the second piece of glass be considered able to infect?

thanks.

[mkh9]

Yes HIV dies quickly in air. It depends on how long. Hepatitis lasts a long time in blood on surfaces.

Hep C up to 4 days in dried blood.
Hep B up to a week.
HIV is dead in 99% after several hours according to CDC. They tested high concentrations of HIV placed in blood and letting it dry and then they tested it. So the amount that would be in a tube would be a whole lot less. But those are the statistics.

But since you didn't get cut it isn't a risk.

mkh9

[Richard596]

I have a little red mark but it's just a mark, no bleeding or itching. I washed it with water after 10 minutes of the incident and I applied so alcohol gel, it did not sting.
There's something I do not understand, will the viruses (specially HIV) not be dead as the piece of glass was exposed to the air?
Thanks

[mkh9]

If you didn't break the skin (for sure) then you have no risk.
mkh9