The ongoing quarantine is keeping an unprecedented number of people at home, and perhaps one of the first questions that many thought of was, “Can I still get delivery?”
With many of us caught unprepared when the quarantine policy took place, folks increasingly relied on Waimai delivery workers for their next meal. While the question of getting food delivered became less of an issue, a new concern arose.
Namely, “What if I take my food from a delivery guy who has the virus? Will I be infected?” Or, “Can I still eat this delivery food if the chef has Coronavirus? ”
To help ease everyone’s’ concerns, DingXiangYiSheng (丁香医生), one of the most famous Health Care information and services platforms, answered some common questions regarding this matter.
Let’s say the delivery guy has Coronavirus. He touched the packaging, will I get infected?
Don’t worry, the chances of you getting infected this way is a long shot. The main way of transmission of the COVID-19 is “droplet transmission” meaning anything related to sneezing, coughing, dripping, or exhaling, and “contact transmission” which refers to physical contact or through objects. Disease transmission through pathways such as airborne and digestive tract are yet to be identified.
When we go to pick up our take-out food, as long as we wear a mask properly, we don’t need to worry about the spread of the virus through droplet transmission. As for contact transmission, even if the virus lives on the object it touches, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s automatically contagious. It is possible to become infected only if the “living” virus reaches a “contagious” level.
In other words, if the concentration of the virus is not high enough, the probability of infection will be low.
Studies have shown that the homology (genetic/structural relation) of COVID-19 and the SARS Coronavirus is more than 85%.
Here are the biological characteristics of the SARS Coronavirus: SARS Coronavirus can survive for two to three days on plastic, glass, mosaic, metal, cloth, copy paper, and other surfaces. Virus concentration (infectivity) changes over time: when droplets containing the SARS Coronavirus fall on materials that easily absorb water (such as paper towels, napkins, and cotton), the virus concentration drops by 1000% after five minutes. The effect is equivalent to the use of disinfectants, and are no longer infectious. If it falls on materials that do not absorb water (such as plastic, waterproof cloth, etc.), the same effect will take about one hour.
Through this information, it can be inferred that even if COVID-19 “survives” on objects and surfaces, the concentration will not be high enough for transmission. However, please continue to practice proper hand hygiene by washing your hands and fingers thoroughly and for at least 20 seconds!
If the chef or cook has the Coronavirus and I eat the food he prepared, will I get infected?
Don’t worry, it’s fine to eat delivery food as long as the food is cooked properly since the virus cannot survive high temperatures. According to the World Health Organization, meat is safe to eat if it is thoroughly cooked and properly handled during food preparation, even in areas with outbreaks. If you are really worried, we suggest you stick to ordering hot food, rather than cold food.
Tips to lower the risk to get infected when you pick up delivery food
- Choose “delivery without direct contact” (无接触配送) and wear a mask when you pick up the food
- Wear disposable gloves to pick up and unpack food
- Clean hands properly with an alcohol-based hand wash or soap
Source: DingXiangYiSheng
Photo: weibo.com, Getty Images
