Klarinet Archive - Posting 000169.txt from 1999/01

From: David Blumberg <reedman@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] re:germs - mouthpiece sharing
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1999 09:21:56 -0500

Tony Pay wrote:
A retrovirus is a virus that reproduces by inserting its genetic
material into the host cell, whose normal function is thus hijacked into
producing more of the virus. As I understand it, it's called a
retrovirus because it contains an enzyme called reverse transcriptase,
hence re-verse tr-anscriptase virus --> re-tr-ovirus. The HIV virus is
such a virus.
It's not really accurate to say that the Berio is pre-retrovirus, but
it's pre any great concern about them. If you remember, there was a
sudden scare about playing other people's instruments when the AIDS
danger first surfaced. I remember a mother was really very worried
about her daughter attending a summer school I was teaching at, because
I was known to play on students' instruments quite often in the course
of a lesson.
The epithelial cells inside the mouth are quite susceptible to
transfection, hence the concern. I believe HIV doesn't transmit
effectively this way, so much of that concern has now evaporated.
Performances of the Berio (or a rather similar piece called 'Kreis', by
Holliger) in that period, would have been unlikely.
This rather po-faced but I hope nevertheless accurate post has been a
post-just-my-little-joke-type-post post:-)
Tony

======================================================================

Even though Aids is not spread by the mouthpiece sharing, I still do not
take the chance of getting whatever cold, etc., including gingivitis that
one can get from playing someone's mouthpiece without first wiping it with
an Alcohol Swab (reed, and mouthpiece).
I have had noted Doctors (one who is the Head of Hematology for the Univ of
Penn. Medical School) who did not want their kids to share mouthpieces,
even with an alcohol swab. Makes you think.
David Blumberg
reedman@-----.com
http://www.sneezy.org/david_blumberg/

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