I am concerned with people who have a cold sore touching things around my house or items in public and transmitting it to myself or my baby son. i have been tested and do not have herpes. we have a family member who does though and i do not want my son ge

Hard to avoid: Majority of adults have Herpes that causes cold sores on lips. It is hard to live a normal life if one tries to be clean enough not to catch oral herpes, because that would mean a very high level of "germ avoidance," which we now know can be detrimental to normal life. Being too clean creates humans who lack some beneficial germs. Maybe, just keep away from cold sores until after baby is crawling.