am I paranoid? would you do this?

[BMW]

my kids think I am overboard. I wiped the basket at the store yesterday.

I tried to buy masks, but they were sold out.

 

Today I have 2 kids with mononucleosis... 2 more suspicious... 5 of them have had diahrea in the past 24 hours... 2 have bad coughs...

 

I had to run errands and my girl who is NOT sick had a free dinner card for KFC. So, we stopped in. I got a snack for myself. When I handed the man my bank card, he touch my fingers. I told him that he might wash his hands, that I have lots of sickness at home. My daughter thought that was overboard. Then we ate our snack/meal and I stopped at the counter and told a lady, "We just ate at that table right there (pointing) and I have very sick children at home. You might want to wash it right away."

 

Do you think I am overreacting... being responsible... should never have left the house to begin with??

[gardening momma]

If it was a concern that you had sick children at home, then I don't think you should have gone to the restaurant. If you felt it was ok to go to the restaurant (I do), then there shouldn't be a need to tell them to wash their hands and your table.

[Nakia]

Honestly? If I heard someone at a restaurant say that, I would be thinking they should have stayed at home or gone through the drive-through.

[gardening momma]

Oh, and if I worked at a restaurant, and someone told me to wash my hands after serving them, because of your sick children, I'd be thinking, "thanks a lot, lady!" :glare:

 

They handle credit/debit cards & cash all day. Whether they touched your hands wouldn't make a difference--they could pick up the germs from your payment. And they come in contact with germs all day long in that manner. The issue would be whether you should have been there at all.

[HeatherInWI]

Well, if I'd been one of those people, and if you'd told me, I would have appreciated it. However, I would have appreciated it even more if you'd have kept your germs at home.:)

[WishboneDawn]

Do you think I am overreacting... being responsible... should never have left the house to begin with??

 

I think you're doing fine. I was at the eye doctor the other day with a cold (and bronchitis but I didn't know it then) and told those I came in contact with they'd probably want to wash the equipment I used and I refused to shake hands (in a good humoured way of course). They seemed to appreciate the warning.

 

Sure, you can stay in your house but at some point people need to go out and I think best practice is just to give those around you fair warning so they can take precautions.

[Dobela]

Well, if I'd been one of those people, and if you'd told me, I would have appreciated it. However, I would have appreciated it even more if you'd have kept your germs at home.:)

:iagree:

[lionfamily1999]

I think you trying to be nice might've gotton you the hairy eyeball from everyone you came in contact with.

 

No good deed goes unpunished.

 

You were being responsible, but with so many irresponsible people out there today, you came off as flaunting your possible illness. IOW, you say you have some ill people at home, those folks at the restaraunt are probably wondering if they're carrying ebola or leprosy.

 

:grouphug: You tried.

[Only me]

I'm not sure what I would have done in that situation. I'm assuming that the cashier deals with money, germs all day so you would think he would wash his hands often. As far as the table was concerned I think I would just make sure that I didn't leave a mess and if I coughed or sneezed on it then perhaps I would wipe the table off with an antibacterial wipe.

 

Sometimes being nice can backfire. About 5 years ago two of my kids were diagnosed with Fifth's Disease. They had a rash but not other symptoms and felt fine. The day before they were playing with a bunch of kids on our court. At the time we had over 20 kids 0-15 on the court. The doctor told me that it was highly contagious and that I should tell everyone that they had played with that week. (within reason. Obviously we couldn't tell everyone we came into contact with at the store, etc.). I guess Fifth's Disease is pretty mild unless you are pregnant. Then it can cause complications.

 

The doctor suggested that I just type up a note and leave it on everyone's mail box. I followed his suggestion but I was surprised by the reaction that I got from most people. The majority felt that I shouldn't have written the letter. A few seemed to get mad at me. I felt bad with one family in particular. At the time I knew most of the neighbors pretty well and didn't think anyone was expecting. It turned out that one couple was. That neighbor happen to be outside when I went to give them the letter. I handed him the letter but explained what it was about. I said that he didn't need to worry really since his wife wasn't pregnant and that they should just be aware in case their kids start to get a rash. That way they could keep away from anyone who was pregnant. The man seemed really mad at me. I felt awful when I found out a few days later that his wife was indeed pregnant. Luckily none of their kids got Fifth's Disease and my kids didn't have any contact with that mom. The baby was fine. I felt awful though and decided that it probably would have been better to just skip the letter.

[Tap]

I wouldn't have thought anything of it. People do it to us all the time in the pharmacy. Telling us they have a serious, contagious illness, gives us a chance to stop and clean the counter, in between customers, instead of waiting until night, when we usually clean everything anyways.

 

If you feel like it is the right thing to do, then feel free. You are being conscientious, you are trying to be helpful. They can take and do what they want with the information.

 

If you weren't sick and your dd wasn't sick, then there was no reason you should have to stay home IMHO. In that case, I would have made sure to wash my hands after I left the house, to avoid spreading the illness, but other than that, I wouldn't have thought twice about it.

[gardening momma]

About 5 years ago two of my kids were diagnosed with Fifth's Disease. They had a rash but not other symptoms and felt fine. .... The doctor told me that it was highly contagious and that I should tell everyone that they had played with that week. (within reason.

My oldest dd had Fifth's Disease about 3 years ago. After getting home from the doctor's office, I looked it up online. You are only contagious before the rash appears.

 

http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/bacterial_viral/fifth.html#

A person with parvovirus infection is most contagious before the rash appears — either during the incubation period (the time between infection and the onset of symptoms) or during the time when he or she has only mild respiratory symptoms. Because the rash of fifth disease is due to an immune reaction (a defense response launched by the body against foreign substances like viruses) that occurs after the infection has passed, a child is usually not contagious once the rash appears.

...

There is no vaccine for fifth disease, and no real way to prevent spreading the virus. Isolating someone with a fifth disease rash won't prevent spread of the infection because the person usually isn't contagious by that time.

[Only me]

This is the way I understood it too. The doctor meant that I should tell everyone who my kids played with earlier in the week before the rash appeared.

[Tree House Academy]

My comments are in red.

 

my kids think I am overboard. I wiped the basket at the store yesterday.

I tried to buy masks, but they were sold out.

 

THIS is not overboard.

 

When I handed the man my bank card, he touch my fingers. I told him that he might wash his hands, that I have lots of sickness at home. Then we ate our snack/meal and I stopped at the counter and told a lady, "We just ate at that table right there (pointing) and I have very sick children at home. You might want to wash it right away."

 

These are a bit beyond absurd.

[Unicorn.]

Mono scares me more than "swine flu". I think wiping the cart was a great thing to do, and warning people, but I think you should have used the drive-thru, and stayed out of places that weren't a necessity. I wouldn't expect you not to go to the store though.