Want to visit a pick-your-own farm, but not sure if porta-potty is safe from covid

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So guys...you know how they’re testing wastewater coming from dorms for Covid to detect infection faster? That’s because you shed virus in your poop before you show symptoms and sometimes before you would even test positive. Poop is highly infectious for Covid, and walking into a box where it marinates all day in the sun is absolutely not safer than somewhere that it can be flushed away.

Shedding virus in poop doesn't mean its viral load is big enough to infect you from touching it. Detection and infection are two different things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So guys...you know how they’re testing wastewater coming from dorms for Covid to detect infection faster? That’s because you shed virus in your poop before you show symptoms and sometimes before you would even test positive. Poop is highly infectious for Covid, and walking into a box where it marinates all day in the sun is absolutely not safer than somewhere that it can be flushed away.

I'm curious about the viral load though. I have shared the same bathroom with 10 people who had Covid. I did not get it (tested every 6 days) and many of my coworkers did not get it either. Now we wore masks around each other at work (difficult environment for social distancing) but we all took mask breaks in the bathroom.

[Anonymous]

One of the concerns with bathrooms is the plume in the air when the toilet is flushed, I think. So maybe not as much of an issue with porta potties.
I always hold my breath in portapotties anyway.

I’m all for peeing outdoors but olease don’t do it at a farm.

You could also stop at a McD on the road near the farm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please do not have your kids pee outside at a farm. This is a business and a food production location. It is not sanitary or respectful of the other customers. If you don’t want to use the available facilities and can’t hold it, then you need to find a way to contain your own waste and bring it home.

This!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Isn't the flush the concern? and porta potties have no flush?

You spray on top of what’s in there already. That can create aerosols. Yes, you can get sick.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please do not have your kids pee outside at a farm. This is a business and a food production location. It is not sanitary or respectful of the other customers. If you don’t want to use the available facilities and can’t hold it, then you need to find a way to contain your own waste and bring it home.

This!

Yes! Really, what if everyone did what you suggested? All the human waste has to go somewhere...

[Anonymous]

Porta potties are NOT safe.

[Anonymous]

I'm a big runner and have been using construction job porta potties since March when all of the public bathrooms closed. Amazing I'm still alive.

Anonymous wrote:

Porta potties are NOT safe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We want to pick apples and be autumnal. However, the usual farms we visit use porta potties. Seems like going into a literal box of poo and pee for even 30 seconds is all but guaranteeing covid contraction. My 5 and 8 year olds probably can't hold it that long. The boy can pee outside, but girl never has. Are people going to these places? What are you doing for bathrooms? The drive is 45 mins or so for us so holding it isn't an option.

Buy a funnel for your girl (and yourself). It’s much easier to pee outdoors.

[Anonymous]

bring your own potty. Amazon sells them. We use it in the car.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So guys...you know how they’re testing wastewater coming from dorms for Covid to detect infection faster? That’s because you shed virus in your poop before you show symptoms and sometimes before you would even test positive. Poop is highly infectious for Covid, and walking into a box where it marinates all day in the sun is absolutely not safer than somewhere that it can be flushed away.

Shedding virus in poop doesn't mean its viral load is big enough to infect you from touching it. Detection and infection are two different things.

But what about breathing a big steaming pile of it in an enclosed plastic box?

[Anonymous]

A 5 yo in a portable potty even not in a pandemic sounds like a nightmare.

[Anonymous]

Rather than using the Porta potty I would stop somewhere ahead of time. One of the larger gas stations that is kind of a travel plaza or a target or something like that.

[Anonymous]

Go enjoy your farm and wear a mask to use the bathroom - it is going to be a long fall and winter and you need make it through with your mental health intact.