Ask Anything: Is It Worse To Be Licked Or Sneezed On?
Tongues Out Constance Bannister Corp/Getty Images Different diseases affect different fluids in the body, so it’s hard to give a simple answer to this question. HIV, for example, shows up at infectious levels in blood, semen, vaginal and rectal secretions, and breast milk. But an HIV-infected patient’s sneeze or spit poses very little danger. On the other hand, the germs that cause conjunctivitis, or “pink eye,” come out in tears, and the virus responsible for mononucleosis swims around in the saliva. If we limit the discussion to our most common germs, spit turns out to be relatively harmless. Rhinovirus, which causes up to half of all colds, multiplies in the cells that line the nose and upper respiratory tract. As a result, the easiest way to transmit a cold is through nasal mucus. “You can get some...