I've got conjunctivitis. How do I avoid infecting others?

June 3, 2015 2:03 AM

A week ago my husband came down with a righteous case of (we think viral) conjunctivitis in both eyes. This morning I looked in the mirror at work and, yep, The Pinkening has begun for me as well. What should I do to control the spread?

I have an appointment with my doctor this afternoon. I'm washing my hands like it's my job. I've already tossed my mascara. I'll be washing our sheets and towels on the hottest setting possible tonight.

My big question is, just how contagious am I? Should I plan on working from home to prevent The Pinkening from spreading in my workplace, or is diligent handwashing enough? Also, what other items should I be tossing/cleaning/boiling/burning? I feel like we weren't thorough enough with the cleaning/tossing last time, which is why I'm infected now.

Thanks!

posted by nerdfish to Health & Fitness (9 answers total)

My kids have gotten it before, but so far neither my husband nor I have. I just wash my hands a lot and don't touch my eyes. I don't think you need to throw out much, but yeah, toss your make up and wash your pillowcase. That's just so you don't re-infect yourself.

As for work, I would tell your boss you have it and ask if you should come in or work from home. Different people have different levels of fear about pinkeye.
posted by amro at 2:33 AM on June 3, 2015

Some years ago when I had a particularly nasty case of conjunctivitis, my doctor told that that on no account was I to go to work as it was very contagious. I'd suggest that you ask your doctor specifically whether you should go in to work. If getting there involves driving, you almost certainly shouldn't go.
posted by Nick Jordan at 2:34 AM on June 3, 2015

As someone that wears contact lenses, and seems to catch pink eye very easily, please try to work from home, or stay home until you have been treated for at least a couple days. I can't wear contacts with pink eye. You may not think it's a big deal, but I have no peripheral vision with glasses, it makes a lot of life much more difficult.
posted by kellyblah at 3:07 AM on June 3, 2015

Your doctor will let you know for sure, but for our son, it was only the first day of the pink eye flare-up in which he was really contagious. After that, you should wash your hands a lot (as you've been doing) and you'll be cleared to go back to work or daycare.
posted by ignignokt at 3:35 AM on June 3, 2015

Please work from home for at least a couple of days. I got conjunctivitis from a girl at work once. I have no idea how it even happened, since I'm pretty diligent about hand washing and try to avoid touching my face, but pink eye can be super contagious.
posted by kinddieserzeit at 5:24 AM on June 3, 2015

Use paper towels in the bathrooms at home. Disinfect common use items (door handles, kettle, stove knobs, pens, phones, keyboards) daily.
posted by Feisty at 5:40 AM on June 3, 2015

If you have the option to work from home, definitely do that for a few days. You'd feel awful if you passed this to someone, and they'd feel awful having it.

I'm assuming you don't wear contacts (if you do, toss the contacts obviously, and you might as well toss the case as well). Do you use other eye makeup? Or face makeup with brushes that may have ended up near your eyes? Eyeshadow can be tossed (or sprayed thoroughly with alcohol). Brushes need to be washed really well, and then sanitized with more alcohol.

If you want to be really thorough, be sure to do all your sanitizing now, but also again in a few days. If you wash your towels tonight and then wipe your eyes with them tomorrow, then they need to be washed again. (on preview: Feisty has a better suggestion; wash everything and then use disposables until you're no longer contagious)
posted by specialagentwebb at 5:43 AM on June 3, 2015

In response to those saying to take a few days off work: pinkeye is only contagious while you are symptomatic. In my experience, once you start treating it with antibiotic drops, symptoms will clear up within 24 hours.
posted by amro at 10:24 AM on June 3, 2015

I think someone once told me that I had likely gotten pinkeye while I had a cold and may have touched or blown my nose and later touched my eye. So be careful of that.
posted by mermaidcafe at 3:21 PM on June 3, 2015