Theos-Talk Archives (May 2000 Message tt00021)

You are correct about the sewing needle, pins,
even a nail covered in fresh blood.  One doctor's
reasoning of why someone who stepped on the nail
did not catch the disease, while he in fact had
caught it by accidentally pricking himself after
withdrawing blood from his patient was that:

1. The virus has a hard time surviving in a dry
open air environ, while the needle is a
contained, wet one.

2. Even fresh blood on a nail would be literally
wiped off onto the outer skin as the nail slid
in, and this weak dose of infected blood would be
identified as "a foreign body" and attacked by
white blood cells immediately.

On another note, I know a man who took a hit from
a needle (uncleaned) directly after another user
diagnosed with HIV. He got sober and has tested
himself every 6 months for the last 8 years
without a positive result! 

--- Michele Lidofsky
<officerjenny@mindspring.com> wrote:
> 
> 
>   It is true that infected drug users who would
> share a hypodermic
> needle by passing it to a fellow user soon
> after use chance passing on
> HIV (specifically) in that needle (and that is
> why such drug users are
> told they must sterilize this type of needle
> with bleach).  But  I
> understand that most sharps - sewing needles,
> pins, etc. - still will
> not carry live virus on their surfaces for a
> long enough time for this
> particular kind of hoax under average
> conditions. (Hasn't the test
> record shown that even under extremely
> favorable conditions, like a warm
> wet public toilet seat in fairly constant use,
> the longest the virus has
> 'survived' on a hard surface is fifteen minutes
> to one-half hour?)  In
> either case, I totally agree it's better to be
> safe than sorry.
> 
>   -  Michele L.
> 
>   
> 
>   
> 
> clint mccray wrote:
> > 
> > This is not completely true.  A needle must
> be
> > dipped in and filled with Bleach for ten
> seconds
> > before the virus existing in any residual
> fluids
> > is neutralized (or treated otherwise).  Let's
> not
> > forget that there are other diseases in
> needles
> > as well. (hepatitis, etc.)  As far as the
> rumor,
> > yes, it is an urban myth, don't worry about
> it.
> > 
> > Be careful if you find a bag or clothes,
> reaching
> > into these things is where people actually
> get
> > pricked.  Police/Fire take most of the brunt
> of
> > this.  But, even if you are poked, and even
> if
> > the needle does carry disease, you still
> stand a
> > good chance of being OK.  Either way, there
> is no
> > disease in Devachan.
> > 
> > FEAR NOTHING, LOVE ALL and never forget ALL
> IS
> > ONE
> > 
> > >   The rumour can be put to rest, and any
> fears
> > > at ease , with the
> > > knowledge that the HIV virus does not
> survive
> > > out of its (live blood)
> > > environment on a cold hard surface for more
> > > than a couple of minutes at
> > > the most.  So even if such a trick was
> > > attempted, by the time the
> > > perpetrator left the scene and some random
> > > victim arrives, the virus
> > > would be harmless.
> > >
> > >   So don't waste energy worrying about it.
> > >
> > >
> > >    - Michele Lidofsky
> > >
> > > -- THEOSOPHY WORLD -- Theosophical Talk --
> > > theos-talk@theosophy.com
> > >
> > > Letters to the Editor, and discussion of
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> > >
> > 
> >
>
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> 
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