Infectious disease/ Corona Virus warning

[Melodie-And-John0]

Hello everyone, First, I think its rude to bring an uninvited guest like a virus to someones home or business wilfully but its even more horrible to share it with an innocent bystander that didnt even profit from their stay like the next guest who stays in the room.  Im not trying to freak out over what will probably end up to be just a minor thing at Bearpath Lodging but Im wondering if it would be prudent to put a general warning in our rules about not coming to our place and or cancelling if they are sick with an infectious disease or believe they may have been exposed to one?  We do a thorough cleaning and sanitizing of surfaces after every booking but this thing supposedly hangs out for up to 8 days after on surfaces and kids touch everything.  

Has anyone tried this and if so, what kind of feedback are you getting from it?  Inquiring minds want to know! Thanks and Safe Lodging!  John

[Helen3]

Hello @Melodie-And-John0  - everyone is in the same boat here. But obviously the hosts who are mainly affected are those in high risk areas such as China, Korea, Italy and Iran.

You currently live in a low risk country however as your government is still insisting on charging for tests and treatment this may well change, as those on low income are likely not to be be able to afford tests/treatment. 

What do you feel you would achieve by putting a warning on your listing ?

It sounds like you are expecting guests to self-diagnose. How would they know if a guest has an infectious disease unless they were tested @Melodie-And-John0 

Having read the health guidance on WHO and your government health body website

[Melodie-And-John0]

 Hello    @Helen3 , thank you for the response, Unfortunately NY is one of 3 epicenters for Corona in the US even though Im not very close (250 miles) to the place its originating from at the moment.  I think its a more general policy I am seeking to encourage than one that just concerns Covid-19.  I have had guests arrive clearly not feeling their oats before Covid was a thing and even read threads here about people that were too sick to leave after they arrived compromised.  A simple reminder that we are a lodging provider and not a hospital seems like it might be in order.  Im still not completely sold on doing it but the fact I work in academia full time has made me more concerned that I not be the typhoid Larry of our area if possible.  Thanks again and good hosting!  John 

[Anonymous]

@Melodie-And-John0  This kind of "warning" is pointless. Given the spread of this particular disease and the long incubation period, you can assume that almost anyone you encounter has some chance of having been exposed. It's a certainty that the majority of cases have not been tested or documented, but we have no idea by what margin. All you'd accomplish by putting this kind of text on your listing would be to make you sound like a paranoid and unwelcoming host. Given how many positive reviews you have, I'm sure this would be a misrepresentation.

Your concerns are valid, but the only logical way to apply a self-isolation strategy to hosting is to deactivate your listing until you find the risk acceptable again. 

[Melodie-And-John0]

Thanks for those thoughts @Anonymous ,  I had actually considering the deactivation option but I already have many bookings in every month for the next 9 months so that's not a good idea unless Im willing to cancel them all and start all over again, Im not willing to do that, my wife and I have worked too hard to do that.  And truthfully, Im less concerned about the virus for me as I am for my guests who are not sick and could possibly catch it from my home.  And as I said before, it would seem like a no brainer not to show up at someone's place of business or home  (or both) with an illness that people could catch but Im not convinced the world is being practical at this moment, too many folks saying they won't get it even though the odds are they or someone they know will.  Im still not convinced I should add the warning, just trying to gauge the sentiments of others that are in the same boat so to speak, thanks for the thoughts and safe hosting for you and your guests, John

[Helen3]

You don't have to cancel and start all over again if you decide not to host. Just 'snooze' your listing.

Why are you worried about guests catching the virus in your home?

Your comments about people showing up with the illness don't make a lot of sense to me.

Unless you are suggesting no-one travels anywhere at all until the virus is over. 

Have you stopped going out of your home completely?

[Lisa723]

@Melodie-And-John0 I agree with previous advice that under the circumstances one either keeps hosting or doesn't. We have elected to block our listings (Portland, Puget Sound areas) from new reservations for the next couple of months but are not canceling existing reservations. We've offered all guests penalty-free cancellation, but so far none has wanted that. So we are being extra-careful with cleaning and leaving extra cleaning supplies and hand sanitizers in guest spaces. It's hard to know how to react with such incomplete information, for sure, especially as a borderline "older" adult.

[Melodie-And-John0]

@Lisa723 , Im with you on that borderline older adult thing!  Were likely to keep the hosting up full bore, just ramp up the decon to a higher level and pray that others are as cognoscente and proactive about limiting their possible effects when they are sick.   It is interesting that most of us warn folks about things) we want them to do (remove shoes) and not (make loud noises after 10:00pm) ,while they are at our place but saying to stay home when they are sick could be off putting in some way, I dont understand but I get it.   I think its a bit of a denial reflex but certainly a human response mechanism to adversity were not prepared to attack headon and as you mentioned, nobody is truly prepared for this but the local coroner.  Thanks again for your thought, Safe travels and hosting, John   

[Sally221]

Dear Everyone-

hand sanitizers are a useless waste of time that give the illusion that one had done something proactive & while placebos might give you a little peace of mind they do nothing to actually minimize risk- as I mentioned in another thread; I'm a retired infant/toddler teacher & in every ongoing education workshop that was tied to anything health related we were reminded that thorough hand washing works & hand sanitizers don't.We also used a 2 tablespoons bleach in 1 quart water solution to spray down all the surfaces in the rooms every evening after washing & air drying all possible items.  The smell was always gone by the next morning. Good luck all! Sally

[Melodie-And-John0]

Hello @Sally221 ,  thanks for that info, its true the sanitizers for the most part are ineffective because most people dont use them as the instructions say and just like the antibacterial soaps, they dont work if not used properly, they may actually increase the resistance by creating superbugs out of the ones that survive the inadequate cleansing.  We have antique furniture in our suites, do you have any idea if the spray mixture of water / bleach does any damage to those surfaces?  Thanks, John

[Sally221]

Hi Melodie & John,

I'd test first on an inconspicuous spot for sure but the sturdy wooden furniture and mostly cotton fabrics weren't marred by the evening bleaching (we used misting bottles so no large droplets)At home, I recently started using a beeswax &  real turpentine wood polish which smells great and might help protect fine wood furniture ?

As for the hand sanitizer controversy-

 I am repeating the early child development  best practice guidelines which are: As hand sanitizer does very little in comparison to hand washing and can lull one into a false sense of security (and is hard on the skin) it's better to not touch one's face in public and wash up in bathrooms using this protocol- turn on water, soap up & wash making sure to get between fingers and around nail beds (2 rounds of row, row, row your boat)  then use a paper towel to tun the faucet off and to open the bathroom door if in a public bathroom. Believe me, if you are doing this every time as you should, you will have chapped hands & I recommend nightly slathering with lotion & then wearing cotton gloves- hella sexy in the bedroom.

Wearing disposable gloves out in public won't help much if you touch your face while wearing them by the way- beware of adjusting glasses & tucking hair back, both unconscious gestures that can transfer 'bugs".

 I carry bleach wipes in my car these days and wipe down the steering wheel and door handles after every trip to the store as my spouse is in the vulnerable age group & many folks are going to be symptom free carriers who will never even know they had the virus.  I think that is the part that frightens people the most, we humans tend to populate the unknown with monsters, stay well folks, Sally

[Lisa723]

@Sally221 of course washing thoroughly with soap and water is best, but it's incorrect to say that (alcohol-based) hand sanitizers "do nothing." When used properly they are effective against many bugs, including corona viruses. They're not a substitute for hand-washing, but a stop-gap when you can't.

https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/show-me-the-science-hand-sanitizer.html

[Helen3]

No they aren't @Sally221  Why do you say that. Please don't spread misinformation.

They can and should be used in places where washing your hands isn't available such as when getting on and off public transport. 

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Melodie-And-John0 

Corona virus only lasts 24 hours on surfaces, flat surfaces longest, fabric the least.

[Anonymous]

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/home/cleaning-disinfection.html

CDC:  Based on what is currently known about the novel coronavirus and similar coronaviruses that cause SARS and MERS, spread from person-to-person with these viruses happens most frequently among close contacts (within about 6 feet). This type of transmission occurs via respiratory droplets. On the other hand, transmission of novel coronavirus to persons from surfaces contaminated with the virus has not been documented. Transmission of coronavirus occurs much more commonly through respiratory droplets than through fomites. Current evidence suggests that novel coronavirus may remain viable for hours to days on surfaces made from a variety of materials. Cleaning of visibly dirty surfaces followed by disinfection is a best practice measure for prevention of COVID-19 and other viral respiratory illnesses in households and community settings.

We can disinfect surfaces all day, but this doesn't appear to make a dent in your personal risk level if you're regularly getting within 2 meters of other humans.