Saliva droplet(s) w/ active sore?

[wgs88]

Hi Terri – I had very recently moved on from an HSV-1 scare thanks to your help and a negative Western Blot. So since then I had finally put the scare out of mind and got on with my life.

However, over the weekend I went to a ballgame with a friend who had what I think was an “active” cold sore on his bottom lip. I actually asked him what happened and he did say it was indeed a cold sore, but I’m not really good at knowing what stage it would have been in, but it looked more blistery than scabby. (Maybe even in the weeping stage, although again not sure.) In any case, it didn’t bother me because I had no plans on kissing him at any point during the game. 🙂

Still, at one point between innings my friend stood up to stretch, while I remained seated. He said something to me and I looked up in reply, and as he was talking I felt a drop of spittle fly from his mouth and land right on my lips! Now, I didn’t freak out or overreact to it–I held a poker face–but eventually after a few seconds I raised my bare arm up to my mouth and wiped away.

I’m not in a tizzy about this like I was with the original incident, but it would be annoying to go through all that with the multiple IGG tests and Western Blot, coming out clear, and now end up contracting HSV in a lame way like this. I’m mainly wondering if it’s possible to even get it this way, considering he had what I THINK was an “active” sore at the time. Also, I wonder if using the skin of my arm to wipe my lips could have “pushed” the virus into the membrane of the lips rather than just wiped it away.

Again, I’m not freaking out over this like I was doing in the prior incident. From my research during that original scare, I’m pretty sure the risk is low, although I’m hoping you’ll tell me it’s zero. 🙂 It’s just the fact that he had the visible sore going on that worries me just a tad, even though it was literally just a drop–maybe two–that landed on me.

PS: I didn’t have any open cuts or anything on my lips at the time, although I have had some zits around the vicinity that I may have popped that morning, so not sure if I could have “wiped” it into one of those open areas. But hoping it was such an insignificant amount as to not warrant any worry.

Thanks (again) for your help.

[Terri Warren]

Yes, I believe it is zero. Contracting herpes is about skin to skin contact and volume of virus shed and probably some rubbing either kissing or sex to get the virus into the body. I think you are actually going to be just fine!

Terri

[wgs88]

Nope, no skin-to-skin contact going on. (Unless you count contact with my own skin when wiping it off.) And it was just an errant droplet of saliva. Thanks for the reassurance!

[Terri Warren]

You are most welcome.

Terri

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