While we’re all on community lockdown, keeping safe, keeping healthy, and keeping sane is on top of everyone’s mind. Here are some essential life tips for living in the time of pandemic. This is SPIN.ph’s COVID-19 Survival Guide.
Can you get the SARS-CoV-2 virus from the paper or plastic bags (and sometimes cartons) that you bring home from the grocery?
There is, for now, little evidence that you can. “There is no published evidence, and we are not aware of unpublished evidence that people have developed COVID-19 illness from touching food or food packaging,” said an article in Harvard’s T.H. Chan School for Public Health (last updated on March 26).
However, the article warned, there are several studies that indicate that the virus can live on surfaces and objects for a certain amount of time. A study by the US National Institutes of Health can “live” on cardboard for 24 hours, and plastic and stainless steel for up to three days.
So better safe than sorry.
The Harvard article gives us pointers on what to do with your groceries after bringing them inside your house.
Fresh produce: Wash with running water. Take note that “other popular rinses such as vinegar are not known to be effective at killing viruses.”
Packed or packaged perishables that will be consumed later (meat, milk, bread): It’s best to remove the perishables from their container entirely and move them to new ones. (Wash your hands before and after, of course.) If you can’t transfer them to new containers, wash the package with some soap and water before placing them inside the refrigerator.
Grocery items that will not be used immediately: Place them in an out-of-the-way place and don’t touch them for the next three days. By that time, the virus will most likely be gone. If you need to use them right away, disinfect with soap and water, or wipes.
Food delivery boxes: Ordered some fast food? Transfer them to a plate and dispose of the cardboard packs right away.
Angela Sy, a Filipino based in Shanghai (whom SPIN Life interviewed a week ago to find out her coping strategies for long-term quarantine) said that during her six-week quarantine, she disinfected all packages that she brought inside her apartment. She also leaves her shoes outside the door, as they’ve come in contact with multiple surfaces.
For more survival guide tips, click here.
Source: Spin PH
0 comments: