We got the mail this morning. Just one letter from the bank and a large flyer about the virus. How do you handle your mail ? I opened the envelope outside and threw it away, also the flyer because we are familiar with the content. I washed my hands afterwards. Am I overly cautious?

Chris, I don't think anyone can tell you how cautious you should be - only you can decide what is right for you. Yes Covid-19 can remain active on surfaces for some considerable time, although that doesn't mean that anyone being near the surface or handling it is necessarily going to contract it - it depends on a variety of factors including age, level of immunity, underlying health issues etc.

So I suggest that you carry on doing exactly what you are doing. If it gives you a higher level of protection and most importantly peace of mind then there is no harm in that and nobody has the right to judge.

At the other end of the continuum and the country, I am seeing people wandering about aimlessly, congregating in groups on the streets and shopping in the supermarket as there is nothing else to do. Some people do not appear to have grasped the gravity of the situation, if in fact they know what's going on. Those are the people that we must protect ourselves from.

Take care.

Regards,

Barbara Anne



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/28/2020 06:43AM by Barbara Anne.

Barbara Anne, my husband and I are 77 and I want us to stay safe. I will carry on being very cautious when it comes to things from outside.

Chris, although I'm very doubtful that virus on letters and boxes actually poses a danger, especially if you wash your hands after handling them, I'm erring on the cautious side too just so I know I don't have to worry about anything. I'm finding the simplest way to handle mail is just to leave it lying around for a few days until it's safe.

Re newspapers, the stuff.co.nz informs about the sterility of their newspapers:
[www.stuff.co.nz]