Comment by jMyles | Hacker News Reader

Comment by jMyles | Hacker News Reader

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I didn't say that there aren't other viruses that cause colds that can be spread by fomites. I said that:

1) There isn't a single virus called "the cold virus"

2) In addition to SARS-CoV-2, there are other viruses that cause cold-like symptoms that are not spread by fomites.

Your comment gave the impression that there's a single "cold virus" for which fomite transmission is the primary vector. That's not so. There are a bunch of viruses (in fact a bunch of families of viruses) bunch that cause cold symptoms, and only a few of them are commonly spread by fomites. None of the five endemic coronaviruses are known to be among these, nor is influenza.

Also, even though the CDC appears to be correct to my eyes in this case, I urge that, after the disastrous departure from anything resembling science in the past year and a half, we stop regarding it as a credible source.

Stop again. Then read the link I posted.

I have read the link you posted many times. I am familiar (albeit at an arm's length, as an amateur) with rhinovirus, adenoviruses, coronaviruses, RSV, etc.

At the end of the day, you made a misrepresentation that, taken at face value, gives a false impression that might lead to bad conclusion with respect to control of these viruses.

There are dozens (some scientists believe hundreds) of viruses that cause cold symptoms. Fomite transmission has been reported in a few, though there is scant evidence at this point. In the vast majority, it has not. In some, like the endemic coronaviruses, it has been examined extensively and not found.

It's certainly worth further study!

But your assertion that suppression of fomite transmission - rather than viral interference - is the explainer of splitrocket not having contracted a cold is not well-founded, but might lead to them (or others) believe that this is a positive side effect of surface sanitization.

Now, has norovirus perhaps been suppressed by all the surface sanitization? Maybe. But not colds. The cold viruses appear to have been suppressed by viral interference (with the curious exception of the adenoviruses).

Attempts to suppress fomite transmission come at a significant cost, namely, increased antimicrobial resistance. It's important not to use this method of suppression in places where it will have no effect, such as attempts at population-level control of viruses that cause cold symptoms.

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