Trying to give someone a cold?

[evil_addictions]

Has anyone ever tried to purposely get someone sick? I stopped by work last night and ran into some students who are in our program and also taking a night course. The had just gotten out of class and were laughing about something and since I was bored I decided to ask what it was. The instructor they had has a reputation of being overly hard and unfair with final exams (which are next week).

They told me they are attempting revenge and want to get this guy sick. Two of the guys in the group currently have bad head colds so their contribution way to cough and sneeze on everyone's homework before they entered the room. I guess the way this guy conducts class is you hand him your assignment as you walk in.. no assignment you are sent home. So he had to handle every piece of paper that was just sprayed with germs mintues before. They are hoping to give him a bad cold so that he cant concentrate on creating a killer final over the weekend and maybe be sick enough to not even give them a test tuesday night.

This brought up the following questions.....

1) have you ever tried to get someone sick as revenge or a F U because you were mad or didnt like them?

2) how long will germs live on paper?

3) by the time you get to college shouldnt you just study instead of concocting childish plots?

Of course now I'm dying to see if this works and the mean side of me hopes this guy is miserable all weekend (its not just his students who dont like him.. )

[The Sneezster]

1) have you ever tried to get someone sick as revenge or a F U because you were mad or didnt like them?

Of course not!

2) how long will germs live on paper?

I have no idea.

3) by the time you get to college shouldnt you just study instead of concocting childish plots?

Of course!

[Sneesee]

1) have you ever tried to get someone sick as revenge or a F U because you were mad or didnt like them?

Nope, never.

2) how long will germs live on paper?

Well, I've heard some germs can live on surfaces for 24 hours. Not really sure which viruses, though. And this is only stuff I've heard. Although I guess since we are all on the internet, we could look that up somehow! LOL

3) by the time you get to college shouldnt you just study instead of concocting childish plots?

Oh absolutely! Although this story would make a really fun sneezefic, don't you think?

[The Mute Poet]

Lol, but then some of us navigated our way through college by way of childish plots... ok, so maybe not totally - but the childish plots were option A) and studying was the failsafe... (shifty eyes).

That's quite the story though... I've never tried anything like this before, but now you've got me quite curious as to what the results are going to be... Keep us posted if you can!

[Jemmabean]

Never tried doing it like that but I admit to concealing a cold from a female friend of mine and then sharing a... cigarette with her while thinking "Hmmm... "

Also, childish plots can last to any age, and I think viruses can live on paper for a few hours at least.

[evil_addictions]

I will definately keep you guys posted. One of the infected students called in today to say he was too sick to make it in.. plenty of coughing on the phone but no sneezes

[countless]

I will never try to get someone sick - but in my fantasy and in stories I do like the idea.

Actually I believe it does not work anyway.

C

[Lynne]

Oh, it works all right... not necessarily with paper... but I've unintentionally made people sick more than once

[lalaland~]

3) by the time you get to college shouldnt you just study instead of concocting childish plots?

that question made me laugh. I didn't think these guys were that old when you were talking about them XD wow they're immature~

but it would be interesting to see if he gets sick...

[evil_addictions]

didnt see him on campus today but his tests are scheuled to begin tomorrow. Seems like most of the campus is suffering from something. Glad its finals week and then we get some time off!

[evil_addictions]

He had someone else proctor the test for him. His official reason was the bad weather and how far he lives from campus, but the secretary he called in to said he sounded like he had a bad cold.

So I guess they were successful getting him sick but not getting out of the test.

[The Mute Poet]

Well, that's usually how it goes at that level... it's pretty interesting that it seems they were successful at giving him their cold though - I suppose that somewhat answers the lifespan of cold virus on paper question lol.

[gryffin]

1) have you ever tried to get someone sick as revenge or a F U because you were mad or didnt like them?

Not intentionally... but when I was at high school, some times sick people sat (i.e. the others in the class persuaded them to sit) right in front of the teacher's desk in order to give him - it was generally one specific teacher - a cold... never worked, though.

2) how long will germs live on paper?

At least a few hours, if I remember well from a newspaper article on winter colds I read over and over quite a few times some years ago, when I was young and foolish *sigh*

3) by the time you get to college shouldn't you just study instead of concocting childish plots?

But where's the fun, then?

Though through the good old fetish-coloured lenses it would make more sense to get some good-looking classmate sick, rather than a wicked detestable and consequently ugly (he must be ugly!) teacher...

I completely agree that it would make a great topic for a story. I would personally like even better one in which a character tries to make somebody else sick and falls sick h**self -- but then *he should not be already sick at the beginning, which complicates the plot. I'll look into that!

[Vetinari]

Well, that's usually how it goes at that level... it's pretty interesting that it seems they were successful at giving him their cold though - I suppose that somewhat answers the lifespan of cold virus on paper question lol.

It doesn't really answer it. If there were people all over the campus have colds he could have picked it up anywhere. Then again that would be boring wouldn't it!

[The Mute Poet]

Ooooooooooooooo - sounds like grounds for a fun experiment, doesn't it?

[Vetinari]

Ooooooooooooooo - sounds like grounds for a fun experiment, doesn't it?

I'm up for it!

[Kiwifruit]

"the suspected range is from a few seconds to 48 hours - depending on the specific virus and the type of surface" fom wikianswers. They also live longer on non-porous surfaces than porous ones(paper);

so we'd just have to find the right kind of virus and invent a non-porous form of paper...

[Vetinari]

"the suspected range is from a few seconds to 48 hours - depending on the specific virus and the type of surface" fom wikianswers. They also live longer on non-porous surfaces than porous ones(paper);

so we'd just have to find the right kind of virus and invent a non-porous form of paper...

Just wipe your nose and lend them you pen........

[count tiszula]

Haha...playing cards, as in Lovelock's experiments at the old Cold Research Centre.

No, but seriously, I take it that all modern playing cards have that sort of non-porous surface, those that aren't actually all plastic.

[Kiwifruit]

"the suspected range is from a few seconds to 48 hours - depending on the specific virus and the type of surface" fom wikianswers. They also live longer on non-porous surfaces than porous ones(paper);

so we'd just have to find the right kind of virus and invent a non-porous form of paper...

Just wipe your nose and lend them you pen........

*accidentally* done this before actually, a couple of years ago...never go into an exam without tissues when you're sick, is all I can say... However, they didn't seem to get sick, so it's all good