Saskatoon mechanic wants people to be 'more diligent' about possible COVID-19 contamination when dropping off their cars
A Saskatoon mechanic believes he caught COVID-19 earlier this month by entering and working in vehicles “littered” with used face masks.
However, an expert says that transmission from contaminated surfaces is “very low risk.”
Michael Ross has been a mechanic for 30 years and works at the Canadian Tire on Confederation Drive. He’s asking the public to be more aware of the conditions inside their vehicles when they’re dropped off for servicing.
“There’s coffee cups, there’s cigarette butts, there’s wrappers and not to mention … now we’ve got these used masks all over the place, hanging from the rearview mirror, off the signal, shift, sitting on the seats, they’re just strewn everywhere,” Ross told CTV News while in isolation at home.
Ross says leaving used masks inside vehicles during a pandemic puts mechanics at risk. After having symptoms for a couple of days, he took a rapid test and tested positive for COVID-19 on Jan. 10.
‘It really freaked me right out. I’m double vaccinated but now I’m in self-quarantine and being off work for five days, almost a full week, does put a damper on my pocketbook,” he said.
Ross says people leaving garbage and used masks in their vehicles is “not acceptable.” He says two or three other colleagues of his have also tested positive for COVID-19.
“We don’t know if they had it and it does put a bit of a concern and a fear into us and I don’t see why people can be more diligent,” Ross said
CAN YOU CATCH COVID-19 FROM SURFACES?
Joseph Blondeau, head of clinical microbiology at Royal University Hospital, says two years into the pandemic, evidence shows transmission from contaminated surfaces is “very low risk.”
“While it’s not zero, the likelihood for transmission from surfaces is thought to be certainly substantially less than say transmission from another infected individual,” Blondeau told CTV News.
Blondeau says evidence emerging from the Omicron variant shows the number of asymptomatic people with COVID-19 could be as high as 27 to 40 per cent of the infected population.
While it is possible to catch COVID-19 from a contaminated surface, you’re more likely to catch the virus from another person, Blondeau says.
Depending on the surface, COVID-19 can stay on surfaces anywhere from hours up to three days but no new information has been shared since the start of the pandemic.
“We still recommend that if you come in contact with a high touch surface, either don’t touch it or if you can decontaminate it, that’s a reasonable thing to do.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW Life got in the way of one woman's reunion with her father, but a DNA test gained her a family
Anne Marie Cavner was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father, but then life dealt her a blow. From an unexpected loss to a host of new relationships, a DNA test changed her life, and she doesn't regret a thing.
NEW Keeping these exotic pets is 'cruel' and 'dangerous,' Canadian animal advocates say
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among some of the exotic pets they are keeping in private homes, which pose risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say.
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Quebec Health Department reports 28 cases of eye damage linked to solar eclipse
Quebec's Health Department says it has received 28 reports of eye damage related to the April 8 total solar eclipse that passed over southern parts of the province.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
opinion I've been a criminal attorney for decades. Here's what I think about the case against Trump
Joey Jackson, a criminal defence attorney and a legal analyst for CNN, outlines what he thinks about the criminal case against Donald Trump in the 'hush money trial.'