I am thinking I will just make something like a grab tab, short-light leash if we are going to carry them. Would NADAC considering allowing a clip collar with no tags so that we don't have to have that portion to carry with us? I hate that idea, but it might work for a bit anyway to make the leash smaller for those people who don't have a start line stay and need to run and put a leash in their pocket at the same time.
That being said, I spoke to my mom's cardiologist yesterday. We got on this subject because I have my mom who is 94 and I was concerned about. She said that the likelihood of transferring the virus via leash on the ground, or even someone else carrying your leash is less than being struck by lighting. First, someone would basically need to cough or sneeze directly on the leash, or into their hand and then touch the leash almost immediately. Next, YOU would have to touch the leash in that exact same spot as a leash runner, and then almost directly go to your mouth, nose or eyes, with that same exact spot on your hand with enough contamination to actually cause an infection. If a leash runner doesn't go to their face and then washes their hands afterwards, there is no real danger.
As for contaminating the ground, that would be even more difficult because the leash would have to land in the exact same spot as the contaminated leash and again, have enough of the virus on the ground to actually transfer. Then the person picking up the leash would have to touch it in the exact same spot, and transfer enough of the virus to their hand and then touch then touch their mouth, nose or eyes with that exact spot that on the hand that has the virus. Again, if you get off course, you can sanitize your hands and if you so feel, use some lysol on your leash.
A leash grabber is not likely at all to transfer the virus because you again, it has to touch the leash where the virus is and get enough of the virus onto it to transfer. Then it has to transfer enough of the virus to the next leash. Then the person picking up their leash would have to touch it in the exact spot that has the virus, transfer adequate virus and then touch their mouth, nose or eyes. Being that the leash grabber has such a small area of contact, this is highly unlikely that there would be enough virus to transfer. You can also have a bucket of bleach water to dip it in after each leash if you so choose as well. And again, then someone would go directly back, wash or sanitize their hands, and could even lysol their leash.
