How to avoid catching virus when cleaning up vomit

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I'm getting a sort of promotion at work, well it's the same job but involves more different cleaning-related tasks rather than just one. I agreed to do it because it means less mindlessly repetitive work and better hours. Only problem is one of the tasks involves cleaning up vomit, if any, on one of the coaches. I know I'm going to have a problem with this.

If I am reassured that the vomit is only caused by a drunk passenger then I'm not so scared of it, but the passengers don't always tell the driver that someone's vomited, let alone why they vomited. So I'm not going to know if it's caused by a stomach bug or travel sickness or what.

If I clean up vomit that could be caused by a stomach virus, does that mean I'm going to catch the bug just from cleaning up the vomit? I heard tiny particles of the virus can linger in the air and can be breathed in by others. Would asking for personal protective equipment help, to shield me from catching any stomach viruses? If I've learnt anything from the pandemic it's that masks don't protect you, only others around you if you have a virus. So wearing a mask won't protect me from catching a stomach bug. Unless norovirus particles are bigger than covid particles and can't get breathed in through a mask as easily, I don't know.

I know most vomiting on coaches and buses are caused by travel sickness but I can't always be sure of that. I wish people would carry a plastic bag or something with them when traveling if they know they or their children suffer with travel sickness, because vomit is the worst thing in the world to clean up. In fact I think carrying a small plastic bag when traveling should be made legally mandatory because nobody likes seeing, smelling or cleaning up puke on public transport or in any public places where people are walking and sitting and even eating.

Please need some advice. (Severe emetophobe here). Thanks.

Its unlikely you'll catch anything, but there is still a chance. You are entitled to personal protective equipment under the "Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations" so a suitable mask [respirator] may be useful. Note that this needs to be a properly rated mask which will filter out virus-containing particles, not just a piece of old rag like people use for "covid". A suitably rated mask (I forget what the ratings are) should only cost a few pounds.

I used to work as a cleaner in an infant school. I was quite fortunate that the teaching assistants tended to clean up vomit as soon as it happened, thus, when I arrived, I didn't have to . However, being in a place which was occupied by many people, as well as getting intimate with bins and toilets did lead to me getting ill a few times.

You can probably get the bulk of any vomit up using a mop so you won't have to get too close, then do a more thorough cleaning with a cloth or sponge. Make sure you use disinfectant. There is always a risk of catching some disease but its not really worth worrying about. You'll probably be more likely to catch a disease through the general course of a working day, rather than one specific activity. I'd focus more on making the job as 'pleasant' as possible rather than worrying about disease.

First of all - I AM NOT AN EXPERT. A quick search of the internet provided the following link:

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If there's one thing that experts know about the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, it's that this strain may commonly lead to under-the-radar COVID-19 symptoms that don't always involve shortness of breath or loss of smell and taste.

Data collected in December and January by leading infectious disease specialists across the globe indicate that Omicron infections are trending towards upper respiratory tract symptoms. While it may be more common to experience a cold-like sore throat during an Omicron infection, experts stress that all known COVID-19 symptoms are a possibility for those impacted by Omicron — including one specific symptom that may be initially misguiding during the winter season.

More healthcare professionals are noticing an influx of COVID-19 patients reporting feeling nauseous and queasy or have uncontrollably vomiting as a primary symptom. While nausea and throwing up don't immediately equate to a COVID-19 infection, these symptoms may present themselves first before other gastrointestinal issues like diarrhea, as noted by providers at Tufts Medical Center. And the issue is that no two COVID-19 cases are the same; the timing and severity of gastrointestinal symptoms like these may lead you to believe that you're suffering from a simple case of food poisoning.

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health ... -symptoms/

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Omicron is the latest version of COVID. It is highly contagious but not quite as deadly as the previous version.

If it was me, I would wear a mask when I performed a vomit clean up. But there are a variety of mask and many of those are almost totally ineffective in protecting you. The mask type to wear is called an N95 mask. But make sure you get an authentic mask. There are some on the market that are knockoffs (fakes).

Some vomit I can cope with, but if I see brightly-coloured vomit with lumps of visible food in it, I immediately freeze up and cannot bring myself to go anywhere near it. Some drivers just leave it there to slosh around as they bring the coach back to the depot, while others be more helpful and throw newspaper over it to soak it up a bit and make it easier to clean up. There's always enough free newspapers on our coaches and buses.

I hate the "if you don't like vomit why are you in this job?" cliche. Cleaning is more or less the only job I'm emotionally capable of doing (as it doesn't involve dealing with the public or having intellectual skills and qualifications) except it can be repetitive but this new contract I'll be doing means less repetitive cleaning work, so it suits me. Except when it comes to vomit. Sometimes seeing bright orange or yellow vomit with lumps of food in can make me queasy. I did ask for PPE but they said it isn't important for some reason. And people always seem to vomit on coaches, I wish people would bring a paper bag or something out with them if they know they or their children suffer with travel sickness. I know it can come on all of a sudden but it's still f*****g annoying and gross for whoever has the burden of cleaning it up.

Why can't humans be like horses or rats that don't have the ability to vomit?