catharine101

You're in the states?? Ah well, In Canada each city has a public health line we can call for advice on whether to go to the hospital or not. If you don't know if you have one, you probably don't.

If you are that concerned about it, get yourself into the shower, and start an eyewash. IF we were talking about something that was transferred by blood though, I think the 2 hour mark, as you stated, is likely too late.

But I really don't think you need to panic. Although Herpes goes for the thin membranes, it's REALLY rare for it to turn up anywhere but oral or genital (or so I've read in all my reasearch). And you need to have some of those viral cells on your hand when it touches your eye for it to transfer. Hence, you'd need to touch an open sore, or much less likely, have picked up some shedding cells, within about 10 seconds of you touching your eye for that transfer to happen.

In fact, the more I think about this, the less I think it is likely to have happened. Your blood is carrying the antibodies against the virus (I'm assuming you already have it), not the virus itself. The virus resides in the nerve endings of your skin cells (I'm saying that wrong, but it's something like that...)

I'm sure someone else will answer you, especially if I'm wrong. But I really think you are OK. Call your Dr. in the morning - whatever happens it's too late now.

Cheers