I called Support and asked if they have any COVID safety protocol in case I send my MacBook Pro in for repairing. The agent paused and said no. I also asked if those repairing staffs are fully vaccinated but the agent also could not answer. So the only thing we can do is to just clean and disinfect our device after repairing?
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Apple has no COVID safety protocol for repairing
- Thread starter hajime
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addamas
macrumors 65816
Um... being vacinnated is not lowering the possibility that this person will share covid to another person. What it does it lowering drastically the possibility that this vaccinated person might be hospitalized or will be sick at all. Every vaccine does this but none from what I know stops spreading the virus / helps in 100% to not get sick.
In this case I don’t understand why you expect stuff to be vaccinated - it‘s their own decision and every government forcing someone to do this is fool.
Disinfection in UV rays for 15 minutes or alcohol 60%+ is enough to help to not carry it from service background ( I mean place where they did the stuff). But as airborne virus, covid spreads mostly by air so masks they wear for sure helps more and you don’t have to worry 😉
In this case I don’t understand why you expect stuff to be vaccinated - it‘s their own decision and every government forcing someone to do this is fool.
Disinfection in UV rays for 15 minutes or alcohol 60%+ is enough to help to not carry it from service background ( I mean place where they did the stuff). But as airborne virus, covid spreads mostly by air so masks they wear for sure helps more and you don’t have to worry 😉
glenthompson
macrumors demi-god
The Covid virus can’t survive on surfaces for more than 48 hours any risks should be mitigated by the time it gets back to you. Even if the repair person sneezed on it the risk is very small. Your best precaution is to be vaccinated yourself.
Tagbert
macrumors 604
The vaccines do reduce the chance that someone will get infected. They also reduce the amount of time that that person is infectuous if they do catch COVID. But it is not a 100% guarantee that the person working on your equipment will not have an infection. I agree with Glenthompson that by the time you get your device back, it's probably not going to have viable virus on it. Also a quick wipe with an alcohol wipe will clean up it.
I’m sure this is well known here but I learned the hard way. DO NOT use alcohol on the screen of the MacBooks, it will remove the coating.
bodonnell202
macrumors 68030
COVID is airborne, and formite transmission is rare. If you aren't in the room with the people repairing your MacBook you aren't really at any risk whether they are vaccinated or not.
Tagbert
macrumors 604
I use the same spray that comes with a new pair of glasses. It's pretty mild and designed not to remove the coatings on glasses. Maybe Santa will bring an official Apple Polishing Cloth this year. 😄
I use the same spray that comes with a new pair of glasses. It's pretty mild and designed not to remove the coatings on glasses. Maybe Santa will bring an official Apple Polishing Cloth this year.
Yeah I should have just done that. My son had Covid and was using the computer while he was sick, I wasn’t taking any chances
I bet if apple did have an official polishing cloth it would be very reasonably priced.
mw360
macrumors 68020
Yes, the vaccine does reduce transmission. It increases the chances a person will not get infected at all (commonly cited as 5x), and it reduces the amount of time an infected person spends in the peak-shedding phase. There's an article here which goes into how you might have been misled, and also shows unvaccinated people could easily be 10x more likely to spread the virus than the vaccinated.
I agree though that transmission via surfaces like this is now considered unlikely.
Cycom
Suspended
powerbook911
macrumors 601
While I know covid is worse, this has always been a thing when you turn your car/computer/phone/whatever over. You're going to get some germs on it. You have to decide if that bothers you enough to not get it fixed.
Is this a genuine concern? So, the technician could have the worst flu he's had for 10 years - which is completely fine for you - but if he has had covid, it's an instant death sentence? I honestly do not understand why we couldn't care less about things like flu, which can leave even a teen bed-ridden for days, but we act as if covid is the plague! Everyone I know who has had it has mostly recovered in 4-5 days and felt rough, but nothing more.
FYI: COVID-19 sampling study finds no trace of virus at major rail stations | Imperial News | Imperial College London
So, put this in perspective: using the London underground for your morning commute, where people touch surfaces all the time, frequently, has found no traces of covid. Why not? As you can't get it from touching: this was discounted in 2020! You get covid through the air as it's an airborne virus. That's why you get a higher dose being close to someone with covid.
You do not get it from touching something someone else has touched. The chances of this happening is beyond slim. I can't even believe you've called Apple to ask this question.
mollyc
macrumors G3
Yeah I should have just done that. My son had Covid and was using the computer while he was sick, I wasn’t taking any chances
I bet if apple did have an official polishing cloth it would be very reasonably priced.
Polishing Cloth
Made with soft, non-abrasive material, the Polishing Cloth cleans any Apple display, including nano-texture glass, safely and effectively. Buy now.
www.apple.com