Author: PlatinumPisces
Date: 2009-02-12 07:46
well, being a bio/o-chem/oboist person I think I'll add in my two cents.
There have been studies done on the subject of viruses/germs/bacteria etc outside the body. One recent one shows that the metal copper actually decreases the amount of microorganisms that grow in its surface. Another study done by a medical research place (I forgot which one it was) but it said that certain kinds of germs and bacteria can stay on money and lay dormant for almost a month (about 24 days give or take).
As far as your question is concerned.... a VIRUS you say. Well, one thing you must know is that there has always been a debate to where or not a virus is REALLY a living thing. It can be argued both ways... Its main purpose in life is to reproduce at the price of another. It is full of RNA or DNA depending on the TYPE of virus (there are over 5000 of them and all are different/similar in their own respect) and basically take over a host cell and injects their "biological data" inside the host. The host then makes more viruses, the cell lyses (breaks), and they go on to replicate. Thats basically 400 years of virology in a nutshell.
Point is, viruses can not live in low humidity outside of your body, and it can not live without the environment that it needs to survive. As to if the virus is still on the reed, sure why not, they have uncovered microscopic "fossils" of many microorganisms that are millions of years old. Doesnt mean they are going to magically come back to life. As to reintroducing them into your body; as someone mentioned before your body should have developed a resistance to it. So why do we get sick? Viruses change their DNA/RNA all the time resulting in new ones and the cycle continues probably into eternity....
Theres no winning. You should be fine, I played on reeds when I had mono and I stopped playing for a week, then played on them again... I didn't get sick again (nor did I ever expect to). I would be more worried about money... and playing on other peoples reeds for an extended period of time.
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