Germs are evil!

dennis22554dennis22554
in General

I tend to like most living things on the planet--with exception of rabid cuddle comfort members (there are a few). I have noted a few PROs have dropped off-line recently due to illness and it made me wonder how concerned PROs are about catching illnesses from clients I recently turned down a spontaneous cuddling session offer that was very tempting because I was sick--not everyone is considerate. Not sure that I want a cuddle partner wrapped in bubble wrap for protection---but am curious what precautions PROs take to protect themselves from evil germs! Squashing them doesn't work!

Comments

  • cuddlefaerycuddlefaery

    Now here's a topic quite relevant to me! Of course, what works for me won't work for everyone, but this is something I have to practice regularly - not just with cuddling.

    Context:

    I have a primary immunodeficiency. I was born with an immune system that doesn't make adequate antibodies to viruses and bacteria that cause upper respiratory infections, like: sinus infections, strep throat, influenza, bronchitis, RSV, whooping cough, pneumonia, etc. Because I didn't get diagnosed til I was 33 and had repeated infections my whole life, I have lung damage in addition to asthma which puts me at further risk of complications from COVID-19, as well. A simple cold or worsening allergies can turn into a month of coughing, steroids, heavy antibiotics, nebulizer treatments, and bed rest for me.

    Backstory:

    Even before the pandemic, I had started being careful with meeting up in close proximity to people or in large groups of people. I had started wearing n95 masks during flu/fire/allergy season to reduce my own risk. I had started asking people about their symptoms of colds/flu before visiting. I was carrying around hand sanitizer and practicing good hand, cough, and sneeze hygiene. I used the 6' rule in stores. I had to stop teaching in public schools because kids are little putrid petri dishes of germs and I was constantly sick even with treatments - my body just couldn't take it any more. I miss it so much and I've struggled to find steady employment since, but I wouldn't have been able to continue in the classroom having pneumonia 6+ times a year and coughing my lungs out for 10+ months of the year (12 if I taught summer school, which I usually did).

    So, when I started going to cuddle parties just before the pandemic, shortly after my diagnosis, I vetted them carefully. I spoke to hosts about how many people were there, ventilation, hygiene practices, etc. I usually asked my cuddle partners if they'd has any symptoms in the 36 hours prior to the cuddle party. In general, everyone was super supportive - it's what platonic cuddling is all about, afterall. I felt safe and welcome.

    When the pandemic started, I went into near complete isolation for 9 months. Food and everything else delivered. Most doctors appointments online. We didn't know how much at risk I would be until vaccines came out, and even then we didn't know if I'd even respond to the vaccine. But I did, and I very carefully and gradually started meeting with carefully picked people. We checked temps, took rapid tests, wore masks, met outdoors. I managed not to get COVID for 3 years, and even my number of other infections went down because everyone else was being cautious and practicing hygiene too.

    But the past 6 months it's been getting back to "normal" again. People haven't been masking. They've been going out in public sick. They've been not washing hands, or covering their sneezes/coughs. They've been crowding me in public no matter how much I try to back away. I've still worn my n95 in crowded spaces or when local agencies report higher numbers in waste water for influenza or COVID-19. So I finally got COVID last November and ended up with pneumonia for a month - I'm still recovering physically.

    Right now, my health protocols for cuddling are more basic since I'm not actively meeting up with a lot of people and my exposure level is relatively low.

    I make sure potential cuddle partners are aware of my high-risk and that I trust them. I ask them that if they're sick in the days leading up to meeting with me, they let me know so I can make an informed decision. I will always do the same in kind. We practice hand hygiene, and I have hand sanitizer, tissues, and antibacterial wet wipes available. I always carry my n95 mask just in case.

    But at the end of the day, if I get sick, it's usually not the end of the world. Right now I only cuddle people I reasonably trust to respect my health status, so it's not like they'll intentionally come infect me. Shit happens and I can't live in a bubble. I can only do so much to protect myself and those I care about, and cuddling is a measured risk I take.

  • pmvinespmvines

    From 2020 to 2021 there was a huge drop in cuddling on the site due to this very reason and things didn't get back to the usual until around 2022. Hence the addition of virtual cuddling being offered by a lot of pros .

  • ReltvlyCanshesReltvlyCanshes

    I don't think germs are evil but i don't want any in or around me unnecessarily. I think all living things have a purpose whether we recognize it. But i only know what i know so i have to operate with in that, i like space from strangers. I like to keep myself separate from germs as much as possible. Some times methods may be ineffective but it makes me feel comfortable. That being said smells and appearance can help me decide the proximity I'd give to that person place or thing.

  • dennis22554dennis22554

    would you keep a pet germ--name it spot?
    sory about that--but I took love virtually all living things--tolerate cats---I was once given fishing worms that I kept in a aquarium filled with dirt

  • cuddlefaerycuddlefaery

    @dennis22554 I mean, there's been a few times I've passed a cold virus back and forth with a partner for like a month. Does that count? 😅

  • dennis22554dennis22554

    sorry about that-but I took excuse the typos

  • dennis22554dennis22554

    obviously I can't read or type

  • cuddlefaerycuddlefaery

    @dennis22554 you can edit your previous posts up to 24 hours after posting to correct typos, if you wish, by clicking the gear.

    I do it all the time - my ADHD makes me hit send before my brain registers the typos 😅🤦🏻‍♀️

  • dennis22554dennis22554

    no--truthful although we have never spoken--i have always enjoyed your postings---very thoughtful

  • dennis22554dennis22554

    Thanx for the tip---but my typing errors define me!

  • dennis22554dennis22554

    I am a positive spirited mess

  • MorpheusMorpheus

    I’m no doctor but I thought you can’t catch the same cold twice.

  • hoping4snugshoping4snugs
    edited June 2024

    @Morpheus technically no you can't. But that is true only if you have a robust immune system and that pesky virus doesn't mutate from one transmission to the next. Hence annual flu shots. There are 5 in my house and believe you me we swap those germs left right and sideways. Purell baths are a thing or should be.

  • TxTomTxTom

    Germs are not evil... and, they'll save us if the Martians invade.

  • ReltvlyCanshesReltvlyCanshes

    I'm having a very hard time understanding what's going on

  • cuddlefaerycuddlefaery
    edited June 2024

    @Morpheus as @hoping4snugs said, viruses mutate, and with people who have weakened immune systems a la moi, there is a higher chance of a mutated strain being passed on because our immune systems can't fully fight off the virus.

    Think of how antibiotic resistance works:

    People take antibiotics incorrectly or unnecessarily, leaving behind bacteria that are resistant to the antibiotic and therefore "stronger", and then can pass their resistant strains on to others. Eventually you end up with so called "super bugs" that are resistant to multiple antibiotics, which is a major problem.

    The same can happen with viruses in people with weakened immune systems:

    Their bodies effectively act like a petri dish for the virus to grow and mutate while weaker strains get killed off by the immune system. Stronger, resistant strains remain, though, and can get passed on. Healthy people's immune systems kill most of the virus off quicker, allowing for fewer mutations to occur.

    It's one of the many reasons why from a public health perspective it's important to protect immune compromised people from getting COVID-19: not just to protect them and our healthcare system from overload, but also to prevent increasingly stronger strains from mutating faster than we can create vaccines.

    (Due to my condition, I essentially have a minor in immunology at this point because I have to advocate for my own healthcare and educate any doctors I see who are not immunologists who specialize in rare primary immunodeficiency. They just don't receive training for it in med school 😅)

  • cuddlefaerycuddlefaery
    edited June 2024

    @BashfulLoner what? You're not an ADHD gremlin who thrives in chaos, too? 😁🙃

    Purell baths are a thing or should be.

    @hoping4snugs yes, only I've gotten fungal infections from over-washing/sanitizing 😂💀 there is always too much of a good thing. Our poor microbiomes have taken a beating lately.

    A nurse was who introduced to the holy grail that is hand sanitizing lotion 🙌 which I have used since 2011 and shall never do without again.

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