Barrier nursing in an epidemic

[Dalis_mum]

Whilst there have been no symptomatic reports of covid 19 spreading to domestic pets it doesn't mean it's not got the potential to.

The British Veterinary Association and DEFRA is advising minimal contact with pets/livestock if you are or could be infected.

If someone in your home is symptomatic, assume you're all infected and manage your pets as a family.

My personal approach;

For barrier nursing/husbandry: I wash hands, wear gloves and a spare lab coat (a boil washed apron would suffice). I change my disposable PPE between habitats/cages/tanks and boil wash the coat every other day. This is the protocol I follow if ever I am sick.

Further to this I am stripping into a bin bag and showering as soon as I get home. Bin bag is boil washed every other day. I work in a lab handling suspected covid samples that's why I am operating a 'clean house' and barrier nursing. As a healthy adult with no underlying health concerns but regularly coming into contact with suspected Corona virus I am working on the premis of being infected and asymptomatic. If I didn't work in the lab I'd just barrier nurse and follow government advice.

[Pebbles82]

You are doing a very important job for us all. We are mainly hand washing but then we're not going out much. So basically wash hands when someone comes into the house after being out and then I wipe the back door handle, being ultra cautious. But we're not going anywhere to warrant washing all clothes as yet. We all need to take care.

[Vierville]

Dalis_mum, firstly thank you for the job you are doing.

Thank you also for the advice. I've been washing my hands thoroughly before handling my hamsters but perhaps it is time for stricter protocols- they are so precious and so helpless, we need to do all we can to protect them.

[Pebbles82]

I think it is very helpful for anyone who goes to work and is young enough they may only have very mild symptoms or none at all. It makes sense then to bag up your clothes, have a shower and wash them (I thought 60 degrees was ok?). We’re doing towels at 60 degrees.

[Dalis_mum]

In these circumstances I would wash as hot as the clothes can handle and use a proper soap (whilst the environment is important many of the new fangled options will not disassemble a virus).

Viruses are encased in fat. Soaps and alcohols emulsify fats, breaking down the viral components. I wouldn't put a shot of voddy in the wash though. Lol

[Pebbles82]

Thank you. I shall do the towels in a boil wash then. Washing machine soap is a problem. After waiting so long for a supermarket delivery, no washing soap- out of stock along with all cleaning products ordered, toilet rolls of course, no bread flour, no tins! So I am trying to think how to improvise fir cleaning. Currently using fairy liquid as soap! I have a big bag of bicarbonate if soda but not sure what I can make with that. I do remember at school we made soap but can’t remember how. For the washing machine I remember my grandmother used to grate bar soap. We have bar soap so I could try that.

[Pebbles82]

Would you believe our washing machine only goes up to 60 degrees even for whites. So it’ll have to be 60 degrees.

[Dalis_mum]

60 will be fine. Lots of washers top out at 60 these days for energy conservation. If there's anything that you feel really needs a boil wash, use the kettle and pour boiled water over in the sink/bucket. I've heard shampoo is a better option than dish soap, for you machine and clothes...

[AmityvilleHams]

Out of curiosity would castile soap work for laundry then? Some people might have that lying around or would be able to buy some, and it could be a happy middle ground for environmentally friendly benefits(at least Dr. Bronner's and similar quality castile soap) but also being soap.

[Dalis_mum]

From a quick look at ingredients it's a fat/lye concoction like traditional soap. I haven't looked for research on antiviral properties but it should be ok.