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A member asked:
I heard that if you have a cold sore and touch it and then touch an open wound that the wound will get infected. is this true?
4 doctors weighed in across 2 answers
Yes: The virus that causes cold sores is making a bunch of copies of itself in the cold sore. If you touch it, you are picking up all the microscopic viral particles and basically like sowing seed, transferring it to a new spot to grow more. You may not even realize that you have an open wound, the virus is so small it can get into tiny cracks.
Answered 9/15/2013
5.5k views
Yes: You may spread the virus into open skin areas by touching the cold sore. Please wash your hands and wear gloves if caring for someone with a cold sore as well.
Answered 5/7/2015
4.9k views
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