this post was submitted on 29 Nov 2023
27 points (90.9% liked)

Ask Lemmy

26903 readers
1755 users here now

A Fediverse community for open-ended, thought provoking questions

Please don't post about US Politics. If you need to do this, try [email protected]


Rules: (interactive)


1) Be nice and; have funDoxxing, trolling, sealioning, racism, and toxicity are not welcomed in AskLemmy. Remember what your mother said: if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. In addition, the site-wide Lemmy.world terms of service also apply here. Please familiarize yourself with them


2) All posts must end with a '?'This is sort of like Jeopardy. Please phrase all post titles in the form of a proper question ending with ?


3) No spamPlease do not flood the community with nonsense. Actual suspected spammers will be banned on site. No astroturfing.


4) NSFW is okay, within reasonJust remember to tag posts with either a content warning or a [NSFW] tag. Overtly sexual posts are not allowed, please direct them to either [email protected] or [email protected]. NSFW comments should be restricted to posts tagged [NSFW].


5) This is not a support community.
It is not a place for 'how do I?', type questions. If you have any questions regarding the site itself or would like to report a community, please direct them to Lemmy.world Support or email [email protected]. For other questions check our partnered communities list, or use the search function.


Reminder: The terms of service apply here too.

Partnered Communities:

Tech Support

No Stupid Questions

You Should Know

Reddit

Jokes

Ask Ouija


Logo design credit goes to: tubbadu


founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

I've been having this debate with someone who is a bit of a germaphobe in my view.

Say I have a paper cut on my finger. It's deep enough to bleed initially, but it stops within a couple minutes. Maybe I need a bandaid at first, but after a day or 2, it is past the point where it starts bleeding again if I accidentally hit it or rub it on something. A couple days on, it still has the little flap of skin on it. Later, that goes away, but you can still see where it was. Finally, there is no trace. At what point in this process is the wound effectively closed?

When can you resume normal activities (dish washing, food prep, go in a pool/hot tub, have a dog lick your hand) and not worry about infection?

top 14 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 38 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Wounds heal from the inside out. Once bleeding stops it means that it is effectively “closed” as the inside is no longer leaking out. The rest of that is just the layers of skin repairing itself from the bottom to the top.

So as others have said, when it stops bleeding is when it’s “closed”.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 11 months ago

Solid explanation! Thanks

[–] [email protected] 15 points 11 months ago (1 children)

If your friend is actually a germaphobe, then just because something is safe, that doesn't mean they won't worry about infection.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Yes, a germophobe won't be swayed by facts or logic.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 11 months ago

Agreed, but I am. Some of the specific points of the concern were not easily searchable.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago (2 children)

A phobia is an unusually high level of salience applied to the fear generated by an object.

It has nothing to do with an inability to see logic.

A germophobe is extremely motivated to avoid germs. In the service of that mission they are perfectly capable of seeing and using logic.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago

A phobia is defined by being irrational.

Simply being terrified isn't a phobia if you have a valid reason to be terrified.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago

Hmm. So a germaphobe could learn that there aren't germs on a particular surface or watch it be thoroughly cleaned, and that help them feel better. But, I could not convince them that a surface that is known to have germs is harmless.

Am I understanding this right?

[–] [email protected] 9 points 11 months ago (1 children)

A wound is open for as long as it's bleeding. For something like a papercut, this should be just a few minutes for most healthy adults. If you mess with the scab, the wound can be re-opened, though.

when can you resume normal activities

As long as you're not actively bleeding and take the smallest precautions (wear a bandaid), you should be able to resume these within minutes

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Thanks, this is how I've always operated, but the person I've debated this with is so entrenched it makes me wonder if I've just been sloppy and getting lucky.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Curious what your friend thinks on this topic, actually

[–] [email protected] 7 points 11 months ago

Normal activities for a paper cut? I'd you don't have a compromised immune system, Live your life once you're done bleeding. Exceptions for sticking your hand in raw sewage.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

I'd consider it closed once it's clotted.

When can you resume normal activities

After a papercut? Immediately.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago

When it’s dry