Inactivating Hep B

General Discussion
#1

Hello,
I am sorry if this should not go here. I have a silly question about cleaning. I was working in the yard and cut myself. On my way to clean my hand some (I am afraid quite a bit) blood touched a bracelet I was wearing. Since it’s made out of thread I immersed it in undiluted bleach. Is this enough to completely sanitizite it? If no, what should I do? Is boiling water any good? Should I use undiluted or diluted bleach? For how many hours should I leave it inside the bleach to kill the HBV?

Thank you,
Drew

INTRODUCTION THREAD: People affected by Hep B
#2

Hi @Drew_rous,

Bleach would definitely inactivate Hep B within a few minutes. But so can regular laundry detergent (see post here: Must I disclose my status to housemates? - #13 by ThomasTu), important to know so you don’t potentially ruin your bracelet/clothes in future.

Cheers,
Thomas

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#3

Hello Thomas,
Thank you for your response. I have one more similar question. I am wearing a retainer and I was wondering how can i disinifect it after dental procedures that result in bleading. I found an oral solution withn povidone iodine. Is povidone iodine effective against HBV?

Best,
Drew

#4

Not according to this paper (I can only access the abstract, not the actual paper, so take it with a grain of salt): Inactivation of hepatitis B virus in plasma by hospital in-use chemical disinfectants assessed by a modified HepG2 cell culture - PubMed.

The best option would be warm soapy water and then rinsing with water. I wouldn’t think a retainer is something that you share very often anyway, so I wouldn’t worry too much because you can reinfect yourself.

Thomas

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#5

Hello again,
Of course I am not planing on sharing my retainer with anyone.After a dental procedure my gums bleed and the retainer is full of blood. After a few days gums return to normal and I was thinking that retainer “preserves” the virus in my mouth and got me worried for things like glasses utenslis etc… Anyway, I know it’s silly thought but I a get worried for silly things sometimes.

Talking about inactivating Hep B, is alcohol rubber any good?

Best,
Drew

#6

Bleach and water mix and soak it for about 2-3 minutes. Wash with soap and you should be good

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#7

Yes, rubbing alcohol solutions will work (as long as they are over 40%) - https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jiy620

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#8

Thank you both very much!
Best,
Drew

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#9

Hello! While I was at work I cut myself with a nail that prodruded from the wall. Since this is a place that everybody enters I was wondering on how to clean it.
I was thinking of putting some undiluted bleach on a paper tissue and cover the nail with it. Would that be effective in deactivating the virus? How long should the nail stay covered in the paper tissue to be safe?

On a similar note how lobg can hbv durvive outside the body. If I did not put anything to clean it how manybdays in room temperature would the virus survive and be infectious?
Update: this is a photo of what I did. I put some paper tissue on the nails that i soaked in bleach and left it there for 30 min. Is it safe now? Will that effectively kill hbv?

IMG_20211226_101543
IMG_20211226_1015433000×4000 671 KB

Thank you!

#10

Dear Anonymous13,

I think that would definitely kill HBV. As mentioned in these other threads (Constant fear of transmitting the virus - #2 by ThomasTu and Must I disclose my status to housemates? - #39 by yanzhang) soaps, detergents, disinfectants and alcohol-based cleansers are all good enough to inactivate HBV.

Hope this helps,
Thomas

#11

Hi Anonymous 13, I just learned where the fact that the hep b virus can live outside the body for at least 7 days came from. It was a CDC study where a small blood droplet on a hard surface was allowed to dry for 7 days. Then scientists “scraped” up the dried blood and mixed it with a solution to test it and see if the hep b virus was still viable. When I heard this then I realized that the odds of someone coming into contact with dried blood and getting infected is very very low. Anyhow hearing this story reduced any personal anxiety I’ve had over the years about hep b transmission. It’s really not going to be transmitted because there was blood left on a wall like you described above. Yes, it’s good hygiene (and good manners) to clean up anything, but we don’t need to be so afraid of infecting others because of a small incident like you described. I’m only saying this to help reduce your anxiety, not diminish your concerns. Hope this makes sense. Thanks and always, Joan

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