Woman Got Herpes After Holding Karaoke Mic Too Close To Her Mouth

A woman from Zhejiang, China, went out on what was meant to be a fun time at a karaoke only for it to become a night she would come to regret forever. 

The woman, who did not reveal her name, recently shared her story on Douyin. She recalls visiting a karaoke lounge in 2017 and that she had held the microphone too close to her mouth when she was singing.

Sometime later, she noticed blisters forming around her lips. 

She said the blisters were “extremely swollen, painful, and itchy” but she did not think too much of them as they subsided after she took medication. 

However, the blisters resurfaced again, and it was only then she found out she had herpes. 

She's certain she contracted herpes from the microphone and felt a need to share her experience as a way to warn others.

“[I have to] carry this virus for life. There is no medication available to treat it. There is only medication to relieve the pain but the symptoms are recurring,” she said. 

She added the blisters have resurfaced again and again around her mouth and nose for the past eight years, and they started appearing on her cheek this year. 

The woman shared that she contracted HSV-1, which can be spread through skin contact, and typically results in the infected person developing cold sores.

While HSV-2 can also spread through skin contact, it is more commonly spread through sexual contact, and will also result in genital herpes. 

According to a dermatologist, while antiviral medications can help patients deal with outbreaks and reduce their risk of transmitting the virus, there is currently no cure for herpes.

Netizens have expressed their sympathy for the woman, with many calling her experience scary. 

“That’s something to be aware of the next time we visit karaoke lounges,” noted one netizen, while another wrote: “And this is why we should never go around kissing random strangers.”