This will make you rethink that buffet
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The experiment recreated a buffet scenario common in the travel industry. Ten participants were asked to serve themselves from a display that featured various hot and cold dishes as well as beverage options.
Invisible fluorescent paint — visible only under a black light — was applied to the palm of one person. That person represented an “infected” person who had coughed into his hand. The paint represented the virus.
All the participants were allowed to enjoy the buffet freely for 30 minutes...
Link to videoAfter the “infected” person touched various items — including a lid covering on a hot food container, a pair of tongs, and the handle of a beverage pitcher — the “virus” was transferred by other participants to a wide array of items, including silverware, dishes, glassware, clothing and mobile phones. Several participants had paint on their hands and three had paint on their faces.
In an alternative version of the experiment, the scientists set up the buffet taking measures to protect against infection. Dishes were separated, tongs were replaced frequently, and diners were encouraged to clean their hands before, during and after the meal. In that scenario, the paint spread 97 percent less than in the first experiment and did not end up on any of the other participants’ faces.
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What a nightmare it would be to live under the tyranny of needing to keep things clean even under black light. It would drive people insane until they got used to the fact that life is messy and we should try to deal with it with a minimum of neurotic responses.
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We found buffets were great when we had really small children, since we didn't have to worry when they threw shit all over the place, and they got in dirt cheap.
In the middle of a pandemic, not so much.
