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Can you get cold sores by touching hands? Last night I bought cigarettes from a guy who had either acne or a cold sore on his upper lip. When he was ringing me up he bumped my hand with his. Do I have anything to worry about?

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Male, Age: 21, Pennsylvania

Already Tried:
Nothing. I am just worried about germs and contact.

Customer (name blocked for privacy)

Status: Closed Value: $15

Hi there,

The answer to your question is yes one can get cold sores by skin to skin contact. But HSV 1 is an infection that will usually affect the oral area; so touching the oral area of the person would most likely result in transmission of the virus rather than touching the hand of the person who has cold sores. This transmission would most likely occur when you kiss a person who has HSV 1 infection of his/her oral area.

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Reply to Physician's Post: here's the thing -- I am extremely worried that i will get cold sores from this contact. What is the real possibility of this?

Hi there,

It is highly unlikely that you will get cold sores in this way. The transmission of cold sores from one person to the other person usually occurs in close contacts. Marley bumping into another persons hand will usually not cause this condition. It would be almost impossible to give you the exact likelihood in terms of percentage. But it is unlikely to say the least.

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If you found my response helpful please click ACCEPT so that I get credit. The $ that you deposit will only be released when you click ACCEPT. A BONUS will be sincerely appreciated.

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