OT: XX

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No offense either. 

I would want a new new laptop.

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I agree with Erik not that you are overreacting but what he said about the virus not being active outside the body....BUT I definitely understand you not wanting to use a DEAD man's laptop. I personally would just tell them that it would give you the creeps just knowing that he used the laptop towards the end of his life AND since you knew him...it would be hard for you to concentrate when using the laptop. I mean I know I would have a hard time...and it would have nothing to do with the fact that he might have had HIV or AIDs...I always use universal precautions....you never know what anyone has as far as illnesses or what their personal hygiene habits are..... I take wipes with me and will wipe down the hotel room phones and toilets etc.... I am not trying to catch anything that some one has left over.

I understand your point MD, I agree there is this creepiness about using this laptop on MANY levels, I would be using a DEAD mans laptop and on top of that we are speculating he died of AIDS ; I think the only thing that honestly is creepy to me is that there is this UNKNOWN affect of what could have dripped on the laptop...if he was deadly ill all the time...also I am not comfortble using it...that's just me tho...

Believe me Naomi...I understand your concerns and I do agree with you. I just think its unfair that people are starting rumors about this poor man. Its a time for mourning and yet folks are as usual starting the office gossip column. For real...we should be treating everyone as if they have a disease. There are some really sick people out there BUT you can not tell by looking at the surface. What if the man was not gay...just a little feminine....what if he did not die of AIDS but cancer....suddenly everything looks differently and yet his name is being dragged through the mud. I would not want anyone to do that to me. I am just saying that human decency must prevail.... Nope...I would not take the computer but I would not be part of the office chatter either. Even if he did die of AIDS...he was someone's loved one.

On another note...I am so happy that you now have a few choices and folks are coming after you and handing you work from all directions. That's a real good thing.

Hey MD, I understand where you are coming from, actually that guy was treated quite well! They sent Flowers and prayers and well wishes to his home and family.

From what I understand, he was given the opportunity to work from home and telecommute during his illness and he as not fired! Even tho they were speculating his illness...and again he was a human being that is not the point being raised here...even if he had disclosed his illness they were NOT going to fire him...but it would have been nice for him to do so, that is why perhaps he  could have gotten some more help and probably could have lived a bit longer coz it appears that he was not totally taken care of himself and just hiding his illness..but again THAT IS HIS BUSINESS; but also as a courtesy he should have contacted his employer so that proper precautions could have been made  during his time in need.

You are right.  This is not about his life choices its about your right to protect your health.  You would not want exposere to TB, H1N1, or any other potentially communicable disease.   

I took over the desk of a co worker with suspected aids over twenty years ago when we knew a lot less.  I had no issue because all equipment was in the office.  In my ignorance, I believed viruses could not live on surfaces.  His work place was not even professionally disinfected when I took over that desk.  The rest of the office rightfully thought I was crazy.  I got lucky. 

If it was in office I'd say you were ok with professional disinfecting and fumigation.  Being that this was in his home you have no way of knowing what was done to that equipment be it be un clean habits, carelessness, spite, or being too ill to do any better.  

We have a right to medical privacy but aids/hiv should not get special treatment over other contagious illnesses.  The fact that he's gay was his own business and no one elses.  The fact that there is a chance of contaminated equipment is everyone's concern.  Hold your ground on this one. 

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AIDS is transmitted through direct contact with blood and body fluids.  The only ways you can get it are through sexual contact, blood transfusion, being stuck with a contaminated needle and  a pregnant woman can transmit it to her baby in utero, during birth or with her breast milk.

The HIV virus is very fragile and does not survive well outside a host.  Casual contact with something an AIDS patient touched will not give you HIV.  Unless you're touching fresh body fluids you really don't have to worry about it.

That being said, there are some germs that can survive easily on surfaces.  If this man had other infections I would be more concerned about them than the HIV.  MRSA, for example, can be spread by touching contaminated surfaces.