DC
A 23-year-old female asked:
Can you transmit hsv1 to a almost healed cut accidentally licked without an active cold sore i washed my hands 10 secs afterwards?
1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in
Dr. Hunter Handsfieldanswered
Infectious Disease 55 years experience
It seems you're worried about transfer of your oral herpes to your hand (auto-inoculation). This almost never happens. People are highly resistant to new infection with the HSV type they already have: no risk at all for such brief contact like this. The eyes can be an exception: try to avoid rubbing your eyes during outbreaks. (You also can't catch HSV1 from another person anywhere on your body.)
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Reviewed >2 years ago
Last updated Sep 29, 2021
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