[lordnacho]

My wife was ill earlier during the first wave. She literally gargled TCP (the chemical, not the protocol. Handshakes are illegal.) and couldn't taste it. If you've ever been around this chemical you know how strong it smells, people can smell it across the house. That's when we suspected Covid. Couldn't get a test until months later, and it was negative. But still suspect it.

[dekhn]

Why would you gargle TCP? [edit: this was a confusion between an antiseptic whose name is TCP, and a chemical which is acronymmed as TCP. The former is mostly phenol (which I wouldn't recommend drinking, but apparently has been approved for that), the latter is a dangerous industrial solvent which you should not drink.

[chrisseaton]

That's what it's for.

https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/files/pil.3917.pdf

[dekhn]

Is that the same thing? I'm talking about this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1,2,3-Trichloropropane

you're talking about this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TCP_(antiseptic)

Based on the context, I now think the person was gargling the antiseptic called TCP, which is really phenol (a totally different chemical from TCP). So I think I understand the confusion now.

When using TLAs for chemicals, it's often better to write out the full chemical name instead. When I say "IPA" I mean isopropyl alcohol but everything thinks I mean beer.

[mr_custard]

It's just one of those things where the different context between countries doesn't translate well.

In the UK, if you say "TCP" everybody knows that you're talking about the antiseptic phenolic liquid that can be used for gargling but never swallowed. It's present in most househould medicine cabinets.

It's important to note here, given that the subject is loss of the sense of taste and smell, that this stuff absolutely reeks.

[TeMPOraL]

> When I say "IPA" I mean isopropyl alcohol but everything thinks I mean beer.

Somewhere around April/May, everyone in my circles and all their dogs were suddenly talking about "IPA". I was very, very confused until I eventually figured out they didn't mean the beer.

[roywiggins]

TCP (the antiseptic) is more of a brand name. It was named after a chemical but doesn't contain that chemical at all anymore; "TCP" in this context is just referring to the brand name. If you gargle TCP you're gargling whatever whatever mixture of phenols they put in it now, not trichlorophenylmethyliodosalicyl.

[userbinator]

I thought it was this even scarier chemical, also with the same acronym: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tricresyl_phosphate

[glouwbug]

TCP is a bit easier on the throat than UDP

[jbay808]

I've done this on a dental surgeon's recommendation. It's really unpleasant and tastes revolting but it's effective.

[throwaway_pdp09]

Effective for what?

[jbay808]

Killing anything in your mouth that might try to start an infection. And making your next meal less enjoyable.

[anoncake]

To test your sense of taste?

[roywiggins]

As a sore throat remedy probably.

[arcticbull]

"TCP is recognized in California as a human carcinogen, and extensive animal studies have shown that it causes cancer. Short term exposure to TCP can cause throat and eye irritation and can affect muscle coordination and concentration. Long term exposure can affect body weight and kidney function."

Doesn't sound like something one should gargle tho.

[chrisseaton]

It's literally the intended correct medical use.

https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/files/pil.3917.pdf

> TCP is recognized in California as a human carcinogen, and extensive animal studies have shown that it causes cancer.

They also say that about coffee in California.

[dekhn]

You don't want to drink this, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1,2,3-Trichloropropane and the data supporting it is far better than coffee. (the california law is stupid, but some of the things it lists actually are dangerous).

[laumars]

Different TCP. Unsurprisingly, those 3 letters are used in a variety of applications, often in overlapping domains.

[foxyv]

There are carcinogens and there are CARCINOGENS. Hot water is technically a carcinogen. Drinking water that is too hot can increase the risk of throat cancer. This doesn't mean we can't use them. We just have to be aware of the risks.

https://www.nhs.uk/news/cancer/drinking-very-hot-tea-linked-...

[dahfizz]

> We just have to be aware of the risks.

No, not if the "risks" is comically small. The warning label becomes meaningless when applied to anything with an astronomically low chance of causing cancer.

[slimsag]

Like seaweed snacks...

[pc86]

The list of things California says doesn't cause cancer is much smaller than its list of recognized human carcinogens. And animals studies are not 1:1 to humans.

It's literally a medical antiseptic designed to be gargled after dilution.

[gmadsen]

there is confusion in this thread due to multiple chemicals having the initials TCP, one is an antiseptic the other is a harsh solvent

[unishark]

Wouldn't be surprised if both are on the list. Alcohol based mouthwash has a warning label about causing cancer too.

[qz2]

To be fair my multimeter has that cancer warning on it from California. A multimeter!?!?

[berkut]

My new Fender guitar had a warning printed out in the case saying the product contains chemicals known to cause cancer...

Titled: California Proposition 65 Warning

[arcticbull]

Probably not RoHS compliant :)

[qz2]

It’s definitely RoHS compliant as I’m in the UK and it says it is on the box.

Fluke 87V so not some cheapy banger.

[schoen]

My guess is lead solder, although there are lots of other possibilities.

[Rebelgecko]

I would not put too much stock in Prop 65 warnings. Any restaurant with grilled or fried food is required to have them. Eyeglasses are known to cause cancer in CA. Until recently, so was coffee (buy after a long legal battle, coffee is no longer known to cause cancer here)

[gautamdivgi]

California should label things that don’t cause cancer. It’ll be a shorter list. My doormats have the same warning (at least the carcinogen part).

[exabrial]

Same thing here. Very mild case. I had a .5 degree fever for a day (normally I'm 97.5 in the morning and 98.4 in the evening). I coughed like three times. But the sense of smell was completely removed for 4ish days. I have some eucalyptus/tea tree/menthol shampoo that smells _very very_ strongly. When I couldn't smell that anymore it was the craziest sensation. No other symptoms to really speak of. This also appeared later.

[ljf]

A test months later would be negative (if it was a swab) they are only accurate in the first week or so.

The antibody tests are fraught with issues, and if you fight the virus with your T cells rather than B cells, the antibody test won't pick that up and you'll show as negative.

[disiplus]

i too had a mild case at the end of august. the smell is still not back. i have a small baby and cannot smell when the diaper needs changing.

[fivre]

i saw this and, echoing many of the other commenters, thought it was a _different_ TCP chemical, in this case, a relatively obscure drug similar to PCP https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenocyclidine

i was VERY confused for a second

[secondcoming]

> Handshakes are illegal

Ha!

[iso947]

I’m glad that was picked out. So subtle yet actually maybe exclaim out loud in this hotel lobby. I have a mask on and there are very few here so hopefully I haven’t endangered anyone, but something so sublime deserves an applause.

[pertymcpert]

She took an anti-gen test?

[lordnacho]

An antibody test, yes