Coronavirus Found on Food

Contactless Food Service Delivery, Courtesy of Creative Commons

Creative Commons

Contactless Food Service Delivery, Courtesy of Creative Commons

E. Nguyen, Staff Writer

The coronavirus is primarily spread via respiratory droplets. When a carrier with the virus speaks, coughs, sneezes, and a healthy individual breathes in these droplets, the healthy individual gets infected. Respiratory droplets having the virus go on numerous objects. While it is less prevalent, it is still viable for the coronavirus to spread through contact with a contaminated object and subsequently with an individual’s nose, mouth, and eyes. Due to this, there is worry about getting the coronavirus through objects dealing with food according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, although the reality is better than worse. There are many steps for staying healthy to be discussed in the meantime. 

Viruses depend on living host cells to stay alive. While bacteria multiply on food, viruses fail to do so. There are precautionary measures to safeguard individuals from germs responsible for foodborne illnesses like salmonella and listeria. If these are implemented for coronavirus, then the likelihood of its prevention is going to shine brighter. Washing both hands is ideal with soap and lukewarm water. This needs to be done prior to touching food. The same applies to afterwards. It is most important to do so in the wake of touching raw food like sushi. Cook food until they are hot to ward off detrimental pathogens. The lowest cooking temperature for poultry is one hundred sixty five degrees. The lowest cooking temperature for red meat is one hundred sixty degrees. The lowest temperature for seafood is one hundred forty five degrees and when they appear to be opaque and flake freely with an eating utensil. Learn about these vital temperatures before measuring with a food thermometer. 

Rinse fresh fruits and vegetables by calmly scratching them while they are washed with cold faucet water. Refrain from putting soap, bleach, and disinfectants to clean fresh fruits and vegetables, as they could be potentially poisonous if ingested in vast amounts. Contacting coronavirus from food packaging and shopping bags are few and far between as well. Nevertheless, it is always plausible for viruses to dwell on them. Materials like plastic, cardboard, glass, and cloth are vulnerable to viruses. They stay up to a week on plastic. They stay up to one day on cardboard. They last over three days on glass. They last over twenty four hours on cloth. Wiping objects in grocery hauls are not necessary because the coronavirus fails to flourish beyond the human body. Dispose nonessential food packages and plastic bags abruptly by their designated spots and clean cloth bags in the laundry machine to better the luck of beating coronavirus to the finish line. 

While accounting for restaurants, the food individuals eat there and the food taken home through delivery services are prone to coronavirus. As a result, restaurants have set in stone procedures like implementing employee health screenings, necessitating employees wear masks and gloves, and conducting more regular sanitation are put in place to limit the spread of the illness. Although restaurants have done their best to minimize exposure, there is no one hundred percent guaranteed satisfaction. Look for whether or not restaurants stick to protocols prior to visiting and getting comfortable. Certain ones are restricted dining capacity, tables six feet apart, outdoor seating made available, staff wearing face coverings, diners wearing face coverings when not eating and drinking, discardable and recyclable menus, and complementary hand sanitizer. Search for no contact when purchasing and receiving take out food. Transfer food to hygienic containers and throw away the original containers once the order has been acquired. Bring along personal napkins as opposed to relying on those without knowing where they have been traveling. 

Based on scientific research by the Environmental Protection Agency, tap water is okay for drinking, washing, and cooking without having to place them through a filtration system. It is already treated at a hydro treatment plant that utilizes ultraviolet light to steer clear of germs. Yet, the coronavirus has been identified in dirty water sources like wastewater and stream water. So, be extra careful around water where it is not transparent where they were derived. In the home setting, make it a routine and habit to clean electrical switches, doorknobs, refrigerator handles, countertops, tables, desks, toilets, facets, television remotes, electronic screens, and video game controllers to prevent the coronavirus from sneaking into family space. The bottomline is that the coronavirus has a single digit chance of spreading from objects. It is very low compared to direct human exposure. Follow precautions to reduce the risk of getting coronavirus immensely.