Does anyone here seriously think they will catch covid from a postcard? A friend said I should discontinue until all risk is passed. I think this is ridiculously over-vigilant. And “all risk” will never be “passed”. 
1 Like
I think it was proven that the virus can technically survive on different surfaces quite long time, but the risk of getting one from postcard seems to be rather low. Especially if worried that the sender had virus. I would guess if the mailman or anybody handling the mail at the destination country had virus or you share the mail box with neighbors, then the risk would be higher, but even then I wouldn’t be too worried.
Googling gives few articles on how to make sure your mail is safe in case you are worried. In situation like this, I can only advice you to do what makes you feel safe. So if you are worried, take a break from postcrossing or use any safety measures you want (although I think putting mail into an oven might be not the best idea. Disinfecting spray should work much better and safe the mail from burning). Personally, as I am not in risk group and have very little human contact outside work, I merely wash my hands after handling the mail and take care it is not laying all over the place.
So yeah, there is a risk, but it is probably a low one, but then again I studied animal science, not a virology or epidemiology so I might be wrong.
8 Likes
I agree with @Kompis-Ninna. While the likelihood is very low, I do keep my received cards together and wash my hands after handling them. It never hurts to have clean hands, after all. 
6 Likes
Thank you Kompis-Ninna, but I am not at all worried about this apparently perceived and negligible risk, I am not in a risk group and have very little contact either. I wondered if anyone else seriously thought they would catch anything from a postcard. 
Understood that 
Just added bit more in case anybody else is worried and might not feel comfortable to come forward with their worries. Situation like this affects people differently and you never know who is reading the forum and needs bit of advice.
4 Likes
I think if you sneezed on a postcard or vigorously licked it, and then immediately handed it to someone else, that maybe could carry a risk. Everything else is very unlikely.
Every time I lick a stamp I do feel like adding please find attached a sample of my saliva.
10 Likes
Naw that’s amazing 
I thought a lot about stamp licking and if you should still do it in these times. Well, I still do it. Since our cards travel for so long and are dry and exposed to UV light, I think the risk is very low. But that’s my opinion and I would like to hear what other people think about it.
1 Like
Dumb American here with a question: Do most of your stamps not come with a peel-and-stick adhesive back? I think the last time I licked a stamp was in the 90s, and even then I think the US had mostly transitioned to the sticker format. Personally, I prefer the sticking, but I also wouldn’t mind the licking… 
That said, even as a hypochondriac in a pandemic, I am not bothered by the idea that stamps are licked. (Gimme all you got, @elanlei! )
3 Likes
We have both lick and stick (of the same motive). The self-adhesive ones are a bit smaller though and I don’t like how they feel in general.
1 Like
In Germany we (still) have a good variety of stamps to lick. Infact most of the more beautiful stamps are not self-adhesive. But as Axolotl told before, the common ones come in both selections.
To the general topic:
Apart from Corona, I think that if somebody is a bit…ehm…touchy…concerning viruses and bacteria he should never ever think about the uncounted hands mail is passing through 
But I use only self-adhesive stamps or a watered sponge when I have a cold or any other respiratory infections.
2 Likes
Wonderful! I like that you have both lick vs. stick options! I also imagine that the lickable ones are preferred by stamp collectors, maybe? More suitable for storage or display?
I just searched the online USPS store for lickable stamps, and I’m afraid they may have completely gone extinct, except as a vintage item. I regret to inform you all that you will likely not receive American saliva samples anytime soon.
1 Like
Yes, the lickable ones are preferred as you can peel them off very easily by steam.
If you succeed to peel off the stickable ones I think you should stick them on a piece of paper as they are still sticking everywhere but not where they should 
1 Like
When I was little, I used to ask my dad if I could lick the stamps on any outgoing mail he had that day. 
Now that you mention it, I really do like thinking about all the hands that touch my postcards along their journey; it adds a bit to each one’s story that I’ll never know. 
2 Likes
I did that one time for my mother. Decades before the stamps had a …strange taste… and were also a bit rough, so it happened what had to happen… I had a stamp for breakfast 
As I was only around 5 years I was afraid that I got poisoned I didn’t understand my mother who laughed out so loud as her little child dies
10 Likes
I wouldn’t lick anything with adhesive after watching the Seinfeld episode “The Invitations”
1 Like
All stamps are “stickers” here in Finland, no licking involved (except maybe on the envelope 
).
I have not been worried about mail, nor food packages. I was quite surprised when I saw that in some European countries people are encouraged to wipe or spray all food packages or keep them separately for 48 hours, before storing them with other food at home. If someone licks them, coughs or sneezes at them and one immediately handles them and doesn’t wash hands before touching one’s face, there might be a small risk. If one is worried and wants to play it safe, one can keep mail separately for 1 - 2 days and wash hands right after handling “fresh mail”. Hand washing is important anyway.
I googled a bit and found this interesting article, that tells about mail and infectious diseases, starting with history and ending up with current pandemic.
3 Likes
@PinkNoodle I sent saliva samples all the time! You can buy unused vintage stamps on ebay and I very often use them to mix those licks with some recent sticks.
Some of those stamps are older than myself …
1 Like
While I was planning my wedding last year, I stumbled upon a few services that will prepare your invitations with vintage stamps. Although I wasn’t interested in adding an extra expense to an already-growing pile of wedding service invoices, I loved the idea for philatelist lovebirds. Perhaps one day, when I am fabulously wealthy, I will marry my husband again and we can have vintage invitation stamps.
Although maybe I will buy a few lickable old stamps, just for the thrill…
@bom_dia, are you suggesting that I should not be rubbing my postcards into my eyes immediately after receiving them? That would throw off my whole procedure… 
1 Like
Look, I’m not special: I’m just like every other mail enthusiast who likes to collect thousands of miles’ worth of microbes on my face, all in one hit. Doesn’t everyone?
[Edited to include a note for newcomers that I am, in fact, kidding (…or am I?)]
2 Likes
Who don’t like to sniff all these interesting smells on a card? 
Well, if I touch a card, my hands go sooner or later to my face. But because a card is very boring for viruses, they sure are dead.
Except the mailmen sneezed into my card 
I hope not so
1 Like