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Workplace thumbtack poke
I work in an office, we are relate to healthcare but our office is administrative only. We have office supplies in a cabinet, that all workers have access to. I was looking in a small box for something and poked my thumb, then my index finger on a thumbtack in that small box. Both bled. Is there any HIV risk there? For example if another person did the same thing just before me and bled? Any risk or need for testing or prophylactics?
The box had post its and the like it it with several tacks just lying there.
The box had post its and the like it it with several tacks just lying there.
Absolutely NO risk.
If this was a risk, the entire world would be infected.
You can NOT get HIV from exposure to fluids (even infected) from environmental surfaces. Why? Because the virus is so fragile, it can not maintain its infectiousness outside of the body.
Plus, a thumbtack stick would not be a sufficient portal of entry to allow enough blood in to reach the bloodstream to cause infection, which has to happen.
Lastly, even IF the virus would maintain its effectiveness on the thumbtack, there wouldn't be enough blood to constitute a risk.
Don't give this another thought.
If this was a risk, the entire world would be infected.
You can NOT get HIV from exposure to fluids (even infected) from environmental surfaces. Why? Because the virus is so fragile, it can not maintain its infectiousness outside of the body.
Plus, a thumbtack stick would not be a sufficient portal of entry to allow enough blood in to reach the bloodstream to cause infection, which has to happen.
Lastly, even IF the virus would maintain its effectiveness on the thumbtack, there wouldn't be enough blood to constitute a risk.
Don't give this another thought.
1 Comments
You saved me a lot of worry. Thank you
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