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I Once Put A Dirty Shopping Bag On The Sink

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Posted on Mon, 25 May 2020
Question: I once put a dirty shopping bag on the sink table, this bag may be contaminated with blood since i saw some brown stain on it. I used a rag to clean the table surface after discarding the bag and washed it after finishing very briefly. There is no obvious stain left on rag. I keep on using the rag in the wash room for drying the sink table a couple of days after that. Since it is beside the tap, the rag is almost always wet.
1. My question is that if the stain on bag is HIV contaminated blood would HIV survive in rag and further contaminated my sink table when I used it? Will I catch HIV if I pick my pimple to be a little bit bleed after touching the sink table and rag without washing hands again?

2. And later I finally realized it may not be very clean and put my rag outside for 2 days under the sun. In this case, will virus all dead?
Thanks
doctor
Answered by Dr. Shinas Hussain (1 hour later)
Brief Answer:
HIV will not survive long outside the body.

Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thanks for the query.
HIV can’t survive for long in the environment. It will get destroyed in hours when exposed to outside environment.
In your case the stain is already dried up and thus there is absolutely no chance for infection or transmission.
Avoid unwanted tension regarding HIV transmission.
Thanks
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Shinas Hussain (5 hours later)
How about case 1. It has been several hours though
doctor
Answered by Dr. Shinas Hussain (12 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
HIV can not survive on the dried up stain.

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

HIV can not survive on the dried up stain at all. Moreover, direct contact with body fluids is required for transmission.

Thanks


Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Arnab Banerjee
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Shinas Hussain (17 hours later)
I am not sure whether the stain on the bag is dry. But is not very wet like dripping though
doctor
Answered by Dr. Shinas Hussain (1 hour later)
Brief Answer:
Absolutely no need to worry.

Detailed Answer:
Hi,
In this scenario, there is no chance for HIV transmission.

There is no definite evidence of bloodstains in the bag, and even if the bag contains infectious particles (which is almost impossible) transmission takes place only if there is direct blood contact.

Hope I have answered your query.
Thanks


Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Arnab Banerjee
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Shinas Hussain (1 hour later)
If there is blood stain but not dry enough. Also no risk in the above scenario I mentioned?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Shinas Hussain (6 hours later)
Brief Answer:
No risk of transmission.

Detailed Answer:
Hi,
HIV survive only few hours outside the body(We are not even sure that the stain is contaminated). Even if the stain is infected, direct contact with body fluids is required for transmission.
In your case there is no need to worry at all.
Thanks
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Nagamani Ng
doctor
Answered by
Dr.
Dr. Shinas Hussain

General Surgeon

Practicing since :2015

Answered : 23658 Questions

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I Once Put A Dirty Shopping Bag On The Sink

Brief Answer: HIV will not survive long outside the body. Detailed Answer: Hello, Thanks for the query. HIV can’t survive for long in the environment. It will get destroyed in hours when exposed to outside environment. In your case the stain is already dried up and thus there is absolutely no chance for infection or transmission. Avoid unwanted tension regarding HIV transmission. Thanks