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ProfessorGAC

(77,255 posts)

43. The Chemistry Doesn't Work For Me

Reply to DontBelieveEastisEas (Reply #37)

Tue Apr 6, 2021, 03:58 PM

Apr 2021

They have found viral remnants in fecal matter, but almost no virus.
I'm not a virologist, but I am a retired physical organic chemist (PhD, 1980) and I don't see how the virus can avoid very simple mechanism that would negate their capability to replicate.
So, in the gut doesn't work for me.
Also, virus have extremely low vapor pressure. Once suspended in saliva, the probability of reintroduction into the airstream seem extremely low. The water in saliva has orders of magnitude more vapor pressure, and codistillation is extraordinarily unlikely.
Contact transmission from transference to near the respiratory intakes is a reasonable mechanism, but the risk is minimal compared to inhalation.
The chemistry & physics do not support making this into a major issue.

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Surface Contact Spread of COVID is Real [View all] DontBelieveEastisEas Apr 2021 OP

That would assume you're never washing your hands between any of those "touches" oldsoftie Apr 2021 #1

Far, Far, Far Less Likely ProfessorGAC Apr 2021 #22

I like your thinking DontBelieveEastisEas Apr 2021 #37

The Chemistry Doesn't Work For Me ProfessorGAC Apr 2021 #43

Thank you for putting it into real scientific terms. oldsoftie Apr 2021 #48

This whole area of viral transmission has occupied my thoughts quite a bit recently... Hugin Apr 2021 #54

Viral Transmission information in post #86 just below here DontBelieveEastisEas Apr 2021 #87

You should consider making your simulation an OP unto itself. Hugin Apr 2021 #88

Sars 2 Loves the Mouth DontBelieveEastisEas Apr 2021 #86

That's crazy. we can do it Apr 2021 #2

What is the likelihood that someone will touch 100 contaminated surfaces a day onenote Apr 2021 #3

Unless they have a severe case of OCD. n/t Yavin4 Apr 2021 #25

Well, let's see. Before COVID my daily work routine was like this Withywindle Apr 2021 #51

And what is the likelihood that all -- or even most of those surfaces are contaminated? onenote Apr 2021 #61

Considering that CTA serves about a million people every day Withywindle Apr 2021 #62

Contamination by respiration DontBelieveEastisEas Apr 2021 #65

I have ALWAYS washed my hands as soon as I return home from public. -nt CrispyQ Apr 2021 #4

That's not the way it works. Ocelot II Apr 2021 #5

Thanks for posting, beat me to it. I was going mental over the poor maths. Celerity Apr 2021 #63

median person had COVID before day 67 DontBelieveEastisEas Apr 2021 #64

Each surface has to be infected. Voltaire2 Apr 2021 #70

Magnitude DontBelieveEastisEas Apr 2021 #77

Oooof greenjar_01 Apr 2021 #6

That's not how statistics work. Cuthbert Allgood Apr 2021 #7

I didn't take statistics in college and I still knew it was wrong. Ocelot II Apr 2021 #9

Sometimes it's staggering what people don't get about statistics. Cuthbert Allgood Apr 2021 #11

Statistically, 4 in 7 people ... Whiskeytide Apr 2021 #42

I know. DontBelieveEastisEas Apr 2021 #47

I failed a statistcs course in college and I knew it was wrong nt csziggy Apr 2021 #73

You are right. DontBelieveEastisEas Apr 2021 #10

I did a simulation of the situation. DontBelieveEastisEas Apr 2021 #66

Actual numbers derived via simulation. Hugin Apr 2021 #76

*less than* 1 in 10,000 Pobeka Apr 2021 #8

The simple facts are the best to adhere to in this case... Moostache Apr 2021 #12

Look at how successful Taiwan has been. oldsoftie Apr 2021 #49

You should be washing your hands anyway spinbaby Apr 2021 #13

There are zero cases of infection confirmed to have occurred by fomite transmission. Ms. Toad Apr 2021 #14

Case reports indicate that SARS-CoV-2 is transmitted between people by touching surfaces DontBelieveEastisEas Apr 2021 #17

Find me a documented case. Ms. Toad Apr 2021 #20

No Proof DontBelieveEastisEas Apr 2021 #28

Not correct. Ms. Toad Apr 2021 #31

No, just well suspected. nt DontBelieveEastisEas Apr 2021 #34

Of course it's real BannonsLiver Apr 2021 #15

Me Too DontBelieveEastisEas Apr 2021 #16

You put alcohol on your apples? Treefrog Apr 2021 #18

Yes, Yes, And Yes, WowZa !!! nt DontBelieveEastisEas Apr 2021 #19

You cannot "avoid autoimmune disease." Ms. Toad Apr 2021 #21

Viruses have been considered as major environmental factors that trigger the autoimmune phenomena DontBelieveEastisEas Apr 2021 #24

They are not caused by a virus. Ms. Toad Apr 2021 #35

As An MS Patient, I Agree ProfessorGAC Apr 2021 #46

Similar experience with my daughter - Ms. Toad Apr 2021 #56

Other Than Blindness In One Eye... ProfessorGAC Apr 2021 #57

It's such an unpredictable illness - Ms. Toad Apr 2021 #59

That It Is! ProfessorGAC Apr 2021 #60

No question DontBelieveEastisEas Apr 2021 #58

Thank you. Treefrog Apr 2021 #55

Who Said Otherwise? ProfessorGAC Apr 2021 #23

brooklynite & Ms. Toad. probably amongst many others DontBelieveEastisEas Apr 2021 #26

Nearly Zero? ProfessorGAC Apr 2021 #45

I had more DontBelieveEastisEas Apr 2021 #50

If surface contact could be an effective transmission of COVID... Yavin4 Apr 2021 #27

Deaths are staggering DontBelieveEastisEas Apr 2021 #29

There are have 2.87 million deaths worldwide. Yavin4 Apr 2021 #32

The raw statistics say somewhere around 5000 have contracted the COVID-19 virus... Hugin Apr 2021 #30

How did you come up with those numbers? nt DontBelieveEastisEas Apr 2021 #33

The CDC itself says up-to 1 in 10000 COVID cases are caused by surface transmission. Hugin Apr 2021 #39

Not Correct DontBelieveEastisEas Apr 2021 #40

Okay, work through it yourself. n/t Hugin Apr 2021 #41

Work through what? Voltaire2 Apr 2021 #69

My point is the risk of surface transfer infection is non-zero. Hugin Apr 2021 #74

I've been wondering if pay phones are still around. lpbk2713 Apr 2021 #36

Just wash and sanitize your hands frequently throughout the day. beaglelover Apr 2021 #38

Yeah, I don't think the CDC should reverse course on this ecstatic Apr 2021 #44

But we have to be careful that we dont end up with more resistant bugs because of it. oldsoftie Apr 2021 #52

Good point. Oh well. I doubt these places are really cleaning the way ecstatic Apr 2021 #78

I've flown Delta about 6 times since all this started. oldsoftie Apr 2021 #82

Parody?? Nt USALiberal Apr 2021 #53

Your assumptions are wrong. Voltaire2 Apr 2021 #67

The probability of an infection each time you touch a contaminated surface is less then 1/10,000 Kaleva Apr 2021 #68

Yes, and the probability isn't cumulative. Ocelot II Apr 2021 #75

Simulation DontBelieveEastisEas Apr 2021 #79

Covid is a respiratory disease. Ocelot II Apr 2021 #83

Covid is a MOUTH disease. (also) DontBelieveEastisEas Apr 2021 #84

I wash my hands of course. Learned that in Kindergarten. But consider the flu...regular flu Demsrule86 Apr 2021 #71

COVID is Highly Contagious DontBelieveEastisEas Apr 2021 #81

I believe that is because many in our country won't follow the basic safety requirments...wear a Demsrule86 Apr 2021 #90

Uh, that is not at all how statistics work, but ok Sympthsical Apr 2021 #72

This didn't go well for you. nt USALiberal Apr 2021 #80

It is not over yet. nt DontBelieveEastisEas Apr 2021 #85

Never got behind the whole surface fetish... Wounded Bear Apr 2021 #89