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What should you do to prevent viruses when shopping online?

The epidemic of Covid-19  is raging in the world and causing many complicated complications, including Vietnam, causing people to choose the solution of “isolation at home” for “defence”. Because the disease is too dangerous, the Ministry of Health also recommends that people should only stay at home and should prioritize online shopping.

This is also the time when the trend of online shopping is “on the throne” because you just need to sit at home and also have the necessary items to use, which is both convenient and helps limit going out to prevent Covid-19 . However, the  SARS-CoV-2 that causes Covid-19  can live on online packages left by an infected person during packaging or delivery.

Let’s find out how long  coronavirus lives on online products and ways to prevent corona virus new strain so you can better protect your health during the epidemic season.

Viruses can live on the surfaces of online packages

A study published in March 2020 in the New England Journal of Medicine found that the virus that causes Covid-19 can live up to 24 hours on cardboard surfaces and up to 3 days on plastic and stainless steel surfaces.

This study is not to prove that a person will become infected if he breathes in the corona virus in the air or touches a surface contaminated with the virus. The study wanted to emphasize that the virus can survive for a long time under certain conditions.

Professor Joseph Allen (epidemiologist) at the School of Public Health, Harvard University, USA said that the possibility of virus transmission on packages is low and the life cycle of the virus will also be reduced rapidly over time. Therefore, if a person who packages or transports goods for you is infected with Covid-19 , the possibility of infection of the virus on the package is also very low.

You also don’t necessarily have to avoid buying online from a company or seller in virus-hit regions like Italy or China. The reason is because the long shipping time will make it difficult for the virus to remain on the order delivered to you. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also added that there is no evidence of the possibility of transmission of the  coronavirus  through imported goods.

However, this doesn’t mean you can’t get sick when you shop online. In the worst case scenario, if the carrier sneezes directly into the package and then hands it back to you, you also have a high chance of getting infected.

You should promote personal hygiene and stay alert to take measures to prevent the virus from spreading when receiving goods online.

How to avoid getting infected when shopping online

You can avoid new coronavirus when shopping online by keeping your distance from the package and practicing social distancing with the delivery person.

Leave the package in a place where there is no traffic for 24 hours

If your package doesn’t contain perishable food or items that won’t last long, you can leave them in your garage, front door, or other low-traffic area for at least 24 hours. wash hands thoroughly. Thus, the virus on the package has a high chance of dying before you or your family members come into contact with them.

If you must use the package sooner, open the outer packaging and dispose of them in the trash. After that, you wash your hands with soap for 20 seconds and then come back to pick up the items you shopped online and use.

You need to be careful avoid touching your face if you haven’t washed your hands, because the virus on your hands will easily make you sick if they enter the respiratory tract.

Preventing virus on groceries

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) does not recommend that you disinfect grocery items because there is currently no evidence that food or food packaging is involved in the transmission of the virus. corona causes strange pneumonia.

But if you’re worried, you can keep your distance from groceries and then wash your hands and wait a few hours before using the items you just bought. After this time, the virus on grocery items will decrease significantly.

If you want to use canned or bottled foods, you can clean them with an alcohol-based sanitizer. With foods like fruits and vegetables, you just need to rinse with water as usual and keep your distance from them.

You absolutely do not wash food with disinfectants or soaps, but only wash them with water. If soap or disinfectant is left on the food you eat, it’s easy to experience nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

Avoid direct contact with delivery people when shopping online

During the pandemic, the CDC recommends that people practice social distancing by keeping a distance of at least 2m when communicating. Therefore, you should also avoid direct contact with the delivery person and keep a minimum distance.

Currently, some online delivery services also allow customers to use prepaid card payments and use other forms of transportation to keep distance to avoid close contact.

If you must have close contact during the epidemic season, you should wear a mask to reduce the risk of infection. You should also wear gloves when receiving the goods if you are worried that the item may contain a virus.

The CDC says the main way the virus spreads is person-to-person, through droplets from someone with “novel coronavirus symptoms” falling into your mouth or nose. Even Covid-19 can be spread by people infected with SARS-CoV-2 without symptoms, making the epidemic difficult to control.

During this Covid-19 pandemic, you are still much safer buying things online than going out to buy them in person. Staying at home to prevent the epidemic and strictly implementing social distancing is also a way to protect yourself and join hands with the community to repel the disease.

Reference source: Hellobacsi