Should You Be Disinfecting Your Mail?

[NurseJackie]

https://www.rd.com/home/should-you-be-disinfecting-your-mail/

Should You Be Disinfecting Your Mail?
by Madeline Wahl

There's still a lot of unknowns regarding the spread of the novel coronavirus.

[...]However, as you’re going through envelopes from friends, loved ones, and magazine subscriptions, just how clean are your packages and envelopes, anyway?

[...]The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provide a lot of tips and information on their website including this guide on when and how to wash your hands. Even though there are still a lot of unknown variables regarding the novel coronavirus, named COVID-19, the CDC can still use insight from previous coronaviruses like SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV as a reference and guide.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provide a lot of tips and information on their website including this guide on when and how to wash your hands. Even though there are still a lot of unknown variables regarding the novel coronavirus, named COVID-19, the CDC can still use insight from previous coronaviruses like SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV as a reference and guide.

According to the CDC’s FAQ section on its website, it doesn’t seem likely that the coronavirus can spread through packages sent through the mail. “In general, because of poor survivability of these coronaviruses on surfaces, there is likely very low risk of spread from products or packaging that are shipped over a period of days or weeks at ambient temperatures.” However, it’s still a good idea to wash your hands, especially immediately after touching these 10 things.

If you’re concerned about COVID-19, your Amazon package will most likely be OK by the time it reaches your doorstep. “Coronaviruses are generally thought to be spread most often by respiratory droplets,” the CDC website continues. “Currently, there is no evidence to support transmission of COVID-19 associated with imported goods and there have not been any cases of COVID-19 in the United States associated with imported goods.”

[more at link]

[samnsara]

1. i thought of this too....esp mail Im sending to older folks...

...also I know our Farmers Market is going to be closed but I have an Etsy store I may re-open for my hand made items. Do people even want hand made crafts now?

[NurseJackie]

2. Everyone needs a little joy, distraction and beauty in their lives.

Sure... I see no harm in selling items online.

[tblue37]

25. What do you make? nt

[Frustratedlady]

3. My kids bring my mail into the garage while I'm hibernating...

and leave it on a table in the garage. I leave it overnight and then spray it with Purell. Once it's dried, I open it.

Most have traveled a distance, so I'm not as concerned about the contents of the envelopes...mostly bills. I've been doing that
for a month.

Any boxes are left out there for a couple days. So far, so good.

[NurseJackie]

5. I'm sure this couldn't happen... but it's still frightening.

[Frustratedlady]

14. With this stuff, anything is possible.

The only box I get is meds by mail. Wouldn't that be ironic if they were contaminated?

All I can do is be as sensible as possible and stick to my own stubbornness. I'm terrified of catching the virus, so that is an incentive.

[NurseJackie]

16. I'm in a high-risk high-vulnerability age group...

All I can do is be as sensible as possible and stick to my own stubbornness. I'm terrified of catching the virus, so that is an incentive.

... we're locked in! The mail piled up for a week before my husband retrieved it. I have only been outside to refill the birdfeeder and to start the engines on the trucks and let them run for a minute or two.

I guess I've just seen too many horror/apocalypse/zombie/contagion movies and even being outside or opening a window makes me a little nervous.

[Frustratedlady]

18. Same group. That's why I'm hibernating.

Kind of a shock when you realize you are in that group, eh? Sure makes you stop and think about a whole lotta things.

I'm determined to survive this, if for no other reason than to piss off Trump. He'd love to take back my SS and Medicare.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

4. I'd be more concerned about my local carrier...

... and not the survivability of the virus over days and weeks.

I’ve been opening my mail and packages, not touching other stuff in the meantime, and then washing my hands thoroughly.

[mchill]

6. Yes!!!!!!!!!

"SARS-CoV-2 RNA was identified on a variety of surfaces in cabins of both symptomatic and asymptomatic infected passengers up to 17 days after cabins were vacated on the Diamond Princess but before disinfection procedures had been conducted (Takuya Yamagishi, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, personal communication, 2020). Although these data cannot be used to determine whether transmission occurred from contaminated surfaces, further study of fomite transmission of SARS-CoV-2 aboard cruise ships is warranted."

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6912e3.htm?s_cid=mm6912e3_w

[Nonhlanhla]

7. I leave my mail and packages in a quarantine section for a few days

The virus lives on cardboard for about a day, and on some smoother papers for a few days. So I get it, put it down, go wash my hands, and don't open anything for a few days.

[Raven123]

26. Same here. No hurry to open that utility bill. The junk mail goes in the recycle bin in the garage

[Drahthaardogs]

8. Been running an ozone generator over my mail

For about ten minutes.

[jimfields33]

20. Would putting it in the microwave for 15 seconds do the trick?

With a cup of water of course and no it won’t catch on fire for that short time.

[Drahthaardogs]

24. No idea??

I'm sure long enough will kill it, but I don't know how hot.

[lagomorph777]

9. I chuck the junk, then spray the rest with isopropyl.

all with gloves and mask on of course. Then I spray the gloves and mask before putting them away.

[OhNo-Really]

10. I take all precautions. Even dipped my bday cards in 10/1 water/bleach bath 🤷🏻‍♀️

Time for junk mail to stop!

[customerserviceguy]

23. There's only one thing

that will stop junk mail, and that is doubling the postage rates on it. Then, maybe some company that I bought a couple of items from six years ago will compare it's mailing list with it's active customer list, and decide that maybe they should try yet one more time to sell me stuff that I clearly don't want.

Then, double the rate again. Eventually, we will not have fossil-fuel powered vehicles dragging garbage all around the country.

[OhNo-Really]

42. I share the frustration. I walk from mailbox to garbage outside. What a waste of $$

[Brother Buzz]

11. A UV lamp would be a good candidate to disinfect the mail...

but I'm betting there has been a run on them and they are as scarce as hen's teeth

[Lars39]

12. Hospitals are using 3 times the usual strength of UV rays, iirc.

[Brother Buzz]

17. Understood...

but there's also distance and time to weigh and consider. The guideline is 1.5 watts per square meter, whatever that means.

[Lars39]

19. True

And then there's paperless. I really dislike the feeling that we're all muddling around because there's so much we don't know about this virus.

[StarryNite]

13. I've been wondering about this.

Thank you for checking into it and sharing.

[wryter2000]

15. I take the junk mail directly to the recycling and then wash my hands

Things I want to open get wiped with a bleach solution. I don't know if my letter carrier has the virus. I sure hope not.

[The_jackalope]

21. I give everything a dose of isopropyl alcohol spray

Letters, packages, everything. Or is steam them with a hand steamer. I open the packages outside, discard all packaging immediately in a garbage bag, wipe the contents of the package with an alcohol wipe, then bring it inside and wash my hands.

[sinkingfeeling]

22. I've been wiping fronts and backs of envelopes with a Clorox wipe.

I then open important things and set the rest aside for a week.or more. Then wash my hands.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

27. I quarantine bills for 4 days (tried bleach, but it wipes out ink). Packages -- 10 days.

I assume inside and outside of mail and packages may be contaminated. Nothing comes inside my home unless and until I'm confident it is virus-free.

The Coronavirus Denial Center will need to be purged of trumpers before I trust their guidelines.

[sarcasmo]

28. I'm stopping the mail for three weeks. Pay my bills online don't need the junk mail.

[bamagal62]

29. I disinfect anything that comes into my home.

[unblock]

30. the amazon package should be safe? what about the delivery guy who *just* sneezed on it?

we've started disinfecting and quarantining all packages.

[Tipperary]

31. Wash your hands if you're worried.

Pretty simple.

[Greybnk48]

32. We're leaving stuff outside for 24 hours

and spraying some mail with Lysol and letting it dry. I'm more concerned about the brave people delivering it to us being ill. They're as brave as anyone.

[MoonlitKnight]

33. Treat everything like it's raw chicken

Wash hands and surfaces it touches to avoid cross contamination.

[NurseJackie]

34. Maybe heat it in the oven... set at 250?

[PufPuf23]

36. Would spraying mail with Lysol work?

I had thought of mail and that is my plan. There is not home delivery where I live and need to drive to nearest town for my PO Box (that have not visited for two weeks as of today (and probably should).

[NurseJackie]

40. I imagine so. But would a gentle "misting" be enough? Or does it need to be soaked?

[PufPuf23]

41. Figured to spread the mail out on this table where put mail in office

and spray heavily then after awhile flip and spray again. Admit ignore my mail except one or two times a month sort through it and pay bills (most are auto-removed) or address other stuff.

Had one two year old mask that I soaked in isopropyl alcohol to "rejuvenate".

Had bunch of the needed sanitary stuff on hand: rubber gloves, that mask, spray Lysol, isopropyl alcohol. Bought more hand sanitizer and a package of three wet wipes. The reason have stuff on hand was went though chemo and stayed about 1/2 my time in a lodge for similar patients for NHL for 6 months in 2018. Plus have several jugs of isopropyl alcohol. My body is a mess from the disease and various side effects of treatment and other existing conditions.

But I live very rural and will be two weeks tomorrow since left my yard (plus new policy of no one in my home) . I have three more fresh masks because a home health aide from IHS came to my home to bring an Rx (usually I need to go to the clinic). Today had a follow appointment for recent surgery where 3 melanoma were removed from scalp and was supposed to drive 90 miles to assess healing so far but it was cancelled. I met with a surgeon two weeks ago today about surgery to remove a likely benign but growing tumor of thyroid but the sonogram needle biopsy was cancelled and addressing that problem is on hold. Have 5 more doctors appointments scheduled through May 10, all 90 miles away. They are with oncologist and dermatologist, and some cannot be avoided (port maintenance). There are only three confirmed cases in the county where I live. I have not seen with my eyes but evidently there is a flood of urban people said to be from San Francisco Bay Area that are virus refugees filling camp grounds and similar. One of the three local Tribes announced a closure of Reservation lands to non-residents. Other public camp grounds have been closed by decree or locals are clamoring for closure because they are filling with folks fleeing the urban areas.

[MoonlitKnight]

37. No need

Just wash your hands any surface that makes contact with the items or your dirty hands.

[Amishman]

35. Meh, it all goes in the trash unopened anyway

I'll leave it down there for now and just put it straight in the trash when I take the bin down to the road.

[JCMach1]

38. Yes with Lysol, or Odoban

[KentuckyWoman]

39. I am cleaning EVERYTHING.

Let them say I am crazy. I don't care.