Resolved question:
Yesterday I was at the grocery store when I grabbed the end of the shopping cart to load groceries into my car. I got a sticky, brownish substance on my hand. It was difficult to wash off, even with water. I am concerned that the substance was blood. If so, do I have any risk of exposure to HIV or Hep C if the blood contained those pathogens? Roughly 30 seconds passed between checking out and when I touched the substance on the cart. Is HIV or Hep C transmissable if it is exposed to air for only a few seconds? Thanks in advance.
Submitted:
4 Days
Category:
HIV- AIDS Specialist
Hello,
Thank you for your query at DoctorSpring.com
I understand your concern.
Please do not worry. Viral infections can't be spread that way, and moreover no virus survives outside the human body for more than 30 seconds to 1 minute. So, that brownish substance does not pose any threat.
Please feel free to discuss further,
Regards.
Thank you for your response.
Is there any risk if I touched the substance less than 30 seconds after it got on the shopping cart?
Thanks.
No, there is really no risk here.
You can completely relax.