Unexpected Work Trip in March - Frankfurt for 5 Days

[kathryn]

Yes, the wipes I was thinking of are the Lysol/Chlorox ones for surfaces, not skin, to clean tray tables and armrests, etc. I did read the jury's still out on whether these surface disinfectants kill COVID-19, but I figure it is worth the minimal space and time to wipe stuff down. The hand sanitizer is only for when I can't wash my hands (I guess I was hoping it's better than nothing?).

[bchaplin]

I think the CDC recommends hand-washing as much as possible (soap and water for a full 20 seconds), and sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol for when that's not possible. So perhaps carry a small amount of soap, either a tiny bottle of it, or the "flakes" REI sells that can be taken out individually. Just in case.

And I agree with cleaning the tray table, because who knows when that was last done?

[bartleby]

The whole situation with COVID-19 is worrying especially when you have to travel. I also have a couple of business trips coming up within the next weeks. The officials here do also recommend washing your hands with soap (for at least 30 sec) as well as keeping some distance (more than 1 meter) to people who obviously suffer from typical flu-like symptoms. But how to do that in a crowded train or in economy class?

[imperator]

but hand sanitizer and anti-bac wipes do not work on viruses

Not strictly true. With enough sanitizer and scrub time, it will kill virtually everything. The effectiveness of hand sanitizer is variable, reduced by surface dirt and oils (i.e. less effective the dirtier your hands are), or not using a sufficient quantity of sanitizer. Of course, the same applies to hand-washing, as length of time, quantity of soap, and temperature of the water all affect effectiveness.

Do both as much as you can tolerate; to protect yourself, do not touch your eyes or inside the nose at all, this is the most common vector.

[Cristina]

Not strictly true. With enough sanitizer and scrub time, it will kill virtually everything. The effectiveness of hand sanitizer is variable, reduced by surface dirt and oils (i.e. less effective the dirtier your hands are), or not using a sufficient quantity of sanitizer. Of course, the same applies to hand-washing, as length of time, quantity of soap, and temperature of the water all affect effectiveness.

Do both as much as you can tolerate; to protect yourself, do not touch your eyes or inside the nose at all, this is the most common vector.

In that example it’s the scrubbing that’s doing the important work, as you’re physically removing the germs.