A member asked:

How long does herpes virus live on finger if you touch a cold sore and dont wash your hands? is it a few seconds? or longer?

A doctor has provided 1 answer
Dr. Hunter Handsfield answered

Specializes in Infectious Disease

There is little or no risk of transmission, even immediately. Don't worry about infecting yourself at a new site; that almost never happens -- the immune system prevents new infections with the HSV type someone already has. In theory, there could be risk to a sex partner, e.g. if that finger then had contact with a partner's genital area. But nobody is known to have caught herpes from fingering.

Answered 7/25/2021

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