Postal Concerns

A quick spray of alcohol will not help.

For alcohol, it needs to be wet for at least 30 seconds to kill this virus.

Bleach would be better.

For gloves, you should put on a pair, open the box. Remove the gloves (and dispose of them), and put on a fresh pair to remove the contents and take them into the house. Remove those gloves and dispose of them.

I spray the box with 10% bleach and let it sit. I have enough bleach for several months of sterilizing and water purification duties. I then dump the product out like one dumps med. equipment onto a sterile field on the back porch in the sun for some natural sun UV sterilizing. If not sunny, a little more bleach on the product. I have a UVC light wand unit on order. I'll just wand everything after getting that using proper precautions.

Mike said:

If there is no metal in the letters, what about putting them into the microwave for 10 seconds? Not long enough to start a fire, but wouldn't that kill any bio hazard?

For boxes, what about using alcohol from the paint department in a hand sprayer to dampen the box? (I know we don't want to use that on our skin)

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Microwaves require water or liquids to work efficiently. They work by making water, fats and to a lesser extent sugars move which causes heat. Microwaving, in my opinion, will not help. Lots of good suggestions here though! Viruses get in people the easiest by the contaminated hands going into your mouth and nose. What I've been telling my parents is just pretend that everything you touch is raw chicken. You'd want to wash your hands before you pick your nose!

Thanks OPer for this thread. My wife and I are both in the very high risk group. I'm stocked up pretty good. I figure good for 3-4 months. We don't leave the house. Only problem is the mail. Wife wants to open it. I don't.

The mail comes at noon. I pick it up the next morning. It gets pulled out of the box with a stick and put in a bucket. The bucket goes in the shed and rotated every 5 days. The fifth day goes to the house (the wife.) We've only ordered a couple packages. I don't know when I'm going to open them. I figured 2-3 weeks.

My daughter called tonight and said she heard that more tests were done on a cruise ship? and that they found traces of the virus on some surfaces 17 days from the first test.

My wife thinks I'm nuts, but I didn't do all this stocking up and wiping a million things down to get all this stuff here to be done in by a bunch of junk mail that we probably don't need anyway. Thanks for this thread. I will be reading what others are doing.

JohnC said:

Lots of information and studies coming out and I'm citing this paper if you have access. Many reports suggest that SARS-Cov2 can last hours to days depending on the surface. Coppers and Cardboard (probably mail envelopes too, but not sure) about a day if they're heavily contaminated. Stainless steel and Plastic hours to days. I think the best advice for you and all members here is to be absolutely vigilant with handling anything outside of your home. Set up a mail station where you unwrap stuff. I find it incredibly unlikely that you would get infected by coronavirus by breathing the air around contaminated mail/packages. Wash your hands before you touch the product and clean it if necessary. I am an infectious disease researcher at JHU and all the advice we're giving to families and loved ones is to wash, wash wash your hands. You'd be surprised how many times people touch their eyes, nose and mouth daily.


Using heat, disinfectant or UV lights might work but there is absolutely no studies for those with this particular virus. These methods work for other pathogens, but there have been no studies with the coronavirus. Therefore, the tried and true method of washing hands and avoiding people is your safest and most practical solution to staying healthy. I hope everyone stays sane out there!

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Coronavirus Traces Lingered in Vacated Cruise Cabins for 17 Days

Traces of new coronavirus were found on surfaces in cruise-ship cabins for as many as 17 days after passengers left, researchers said, though it wasn’t possible to determine whether they caused any infections

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https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/me...vacated-cruise-cabins-for-17-days/ar-BB11B6sF

adit said:

Coronavirus Traces Lingered in Vacated Cruise Cabins for 17 Days







https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/me...vacated-cruise-cabins-for-17-days/ar-BB11B6sF

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As posted in another thread, there was no test for infectious SARS-CoV-2. The CDC report said that they had a personal communication from a Japanese researcher using a highly sensitive technique that he was able to detect virus genomes in cabins where there were sick people. This is no surprise. There should be remnants of dead viruses throughout these cabins. Moreover, this isn't even scientific research, it's someone told me this thing. The data need to be provided and then peer reviewed. It's reckless for reporters to suggest that this could be infectious material when this was never demonstrated, but this is also the fault of folks at CDC who included this personal communication without following it up with a lot of caveats.

The NEJM report on infectious SARS-CoV-2 persistence on different surfaces is much more credible.

basscat said:

Good lord! Why don't we all just curl up in a ball in the corner of the room and wait. Has the fear set in this bad?

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The OP is following protocols I've seen suggested. I don't think I want to die on a respirator or worse because there are too few. I've seen a loved one dying gasping for every breath like a fish. His actions may be saving not only him, but others from the same fate.

If this was fallout from a nuclear device would you think it was excessive if he took steps such as changing clothes to keep from carrying particles back into his house?

Mike said:

If there is no metal in the letters, what about putting them into the microwave for 10 seconds? Not long enough to start a fire, but wouldn't that kill any bio hazard?

For boxes, what about using alcohol from the paint department in a hand sprayer to dampen the box? (I know we don't want to use that on our skin)

Click to expand...

JohnC said:

Microwaves require water or liquids to work efficiently. They work by making water, fats and to a lesser extent sugars move which causes heat. Microwaving, in my opinion, will not help. Lots of good suggestions here though! Viruses get in people the easiest by the contaminated hands going into your mouth and nose. What I've been telling my parents is just pretend that everything you touch is raw chicken. You'd want to wash your hands before you pick your nose!

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For things that can be wet, try hydrogen peroxide.

Hydrogen peroxide can be very effective in killing viruses and germs that commonly form in your home. It's most effective used in commercially available products combined with other germ-killing substances, or in a home DIY treatment combined with white vinegar. It's safest to allow up to 30 minutes after disinfecting to consider an area "cleaned." However, using professional cleaners that use hydrogen peroxide as an ingredient along with other substances, such as Clorox Hydrogen Peroxide Cleaner and Lysol Cleaner with Hydrogen Peroxide (Citrus Sparkle Zest) can kill bacteria and viruses as quickly as 30 to 60 seconds.

Hydrogen peroxide is regularly used for sterilizing medical equipment and surfaces and is favored as a disinfectant over bleach because it eventually degrades safely into a non-toxic mix of water and oxygen. Cleaners that contain hydrogen peroxide are recommended for killing viruses and pathogens such as those that cause the flu, H1N1 and oral streptococci. The Centers for Disease Control says 3% hydrogen peroxide "is a stable and effective disinfectant when used on inanimate surfaces." Research has also found it to be effective in disinfecting fabrics used in hospitals such as bed sheets and surgical equipment.

There's no peroxide available.

Blaster229 said:

There's no peroxide available.

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I have a lot that I always use around the house. I posted that in case someone has some and didn't know they could use it to disinfect some things. Maybe it's too late now, but perhaps a pool and spa place might still have some?

Blaster229 said:

There's no peroxide available.

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Amazon has it.

Jake4U said:

Amazon has it.

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Little brevity here.

Ordering a product you need to use to receive that product.

Keep your dirty paws off your face you'll be alright

DeathBeforeDishonor said:

Keep your dirty paws off your face you'll be alright

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There is that.

Open box outside. Wash hands.

Empty box. Wash hands.

We do 3 day quarantine in the garage. That should be sufficient for anything on the cardboard to denature. After the 3 days is up I carefully open the boxes, my wife takes the stuff out. I then break down the boxes. Then we wash our hands really well. I've got note cards to label which pile of stuff is being opened on a given day "next, 2, 3"

basscat said:

Good lord! Why don't we all just curl up in a ball in the corner of the room and wait. Has the fear set in this bad?

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Yes sir it has. You and I both live in mamby pamby land.

Since Saturday, I've gone for a walk with some friends and my dog over at Antietam battlefield, went to the range twice, stopped at Hafers to laugh at the panic buyers, slept outside two nights, built a fire in the fire pit, grilled food with friends, did a little shopping to include walking around a supermarket chuckling, got together with friends for two nights of board games (Twisted Risk) and last night got together with a group of friends for dinner from Blaze Pizza. Somehow, we're all still alive and well.

My honey works at the Post Office and handles mail ALL DAY LONG yet she's as healthy as a horse. It must be all that soylent green provided to us by the government.

Combloc said:

Yes sir it has. You and I both live in mamby pamby land.

Since Saturday, I've gone for a walk with some friends and my dog over at Antietam battlefield, went to the range twice, stopped at Hafers to laugh at the panic buyers, slept outside two nights, built a fire in the fire pit, grilled food with friends, did a little shopping to include walking around a supermarket chuckling, got together with friends for two nights of board games (Twisted Risk) and last night got together with a group of friends for dinner from Blaze Pizza. Somehow, we're all still alive and well.

My honey works at the Post Office and handles mail ALL DAY LONG yet she's as healthy as a horse. It must be all that soylent green provided to us by the government.

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Or you don't understand it isn't that every time you do something like that you WILL ABSOLUTELY GET SICK AND DIE.

You just have a risk each time. The risk increases every day that goes by and more people get sick.

At some point your risk is "will almost certainly get sick". Depending on your age and health you probably have between about a quarter percent chance of then dying if you are a young fit 20 something up probably around a 75% chance of dying if you are in your 80s and have some health conditions.

But also you can carry it to someone else who will get sick. So you may be unconcerned, but you are risking the health of those around you. Which is a dick thing to do. Maryland is a couple of weeks behind New York. I have a buddy who works in the ICU in NYC. They are zipping up multiple patients a shift in to body bags right now because they drowned in their own blood.

I know right now my risk is relatively low even if I carried on as usual. But it gets higher every day. I am in great health, but I don't need to get sick for several weeks and there are plenty of guys in their 30s like I am in great health who are ended up on a ventilator (while there are spare ones) for days or weeks because of COVID (and that will cause long term health problems even once you are disease free). Some of them dying also. I also know if I get sick, I put those at risk around me.

To add, it takes on average 5 days to become symptomatic, but you can infect others several days before you show symptoms. So even just avoiding someone obviously sick does you no good. Your buddies you are hanging out with might seem fine, but one of them can easily be sick and get you infected. Your honey could have been exposed a couple of days ago and she won't show symptoms for another few days. Could be a couple more weeks even. Of the 423 cases in Maryland right now, that is only symptomatic. Probably some cases that are symptomatic, but haven't and/or won't be tested. But based on how fast the case rate is increasing, there are likely around 2000 or so infected people who will develop symptoms over the next 5-6 days. All the while infecting people around them.

its the care free attitude of carrying on with your life like nothing has changed is WHY the case rate is doubling every 3 days. As is the death rate.

I thought I saw a thread on here where someone was asking people to send cards and letters to a kid - people were tripping over themselves to do it...

Combloc said:

Yes sir it has. You and I both live in mamby pamby land.

Since Saturday, I've gone for a walk with some friends and my dog over at Antietam battlefield, went to the range twice, stopped at Hafers to laugh at the panic buyers, slept outside two nights, built a fire in the fire pit, grilled food with friends, did a little shopping to include walking around a supermarket chuckling, got together with friends for two nights of board games (Twisted Risk) and last night got together with a group of friends for dinner from Blaze Pizza. Somehow, we're all still alive and well.

My honey works at the Post Office and handles mail ALL DAY LONG yet she's as healthy as a horse. It must be all that soylent green provided to us by the government.

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The majority of the population will get it. Guess you are in a hurry to get yours.

You do know that during an average flu season, in the Unites States alone, MILLIONS and MILLIONS of people are infected and 30,000 - 50,000 die, right? That's approximately 300 people PER DAY. Yet people carry on like nothing has changed. There is no panic, no remodeling garages as mail triage centers, no shutting down stores, no destroying the economy in a manufactured crisis, just life.....and death. It's the way of things. 300 people PER DAY in an average flu season. Since November, the beer virus has killed less than THREE DAYS worth of people compared to the run of the mill seasonal flu. You folks can drink the media/government sweetened Kool-Aid if you'd like. I'll stick with pure water.