Novel coronavirus has emerged as a quite dangerous virus. It has taken the lives of more than 13,00 people so far, with more than 300,000 virus cases. Major cities in the world are under lock-down, and people are trapped inside their houses. At this time, people are using online e-commerce service for ordering food, products, medicine, and other products at their homes.
Hotels and restaurants got closed in several countries. In such a situation, when people can’t go out and are unable to eat, home delivery of food and groceries is the only option for people.
But is your ordered food and grocery product safe from coronavirus spread?
A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that the COVID-19 virus can survive up to 24 hours on the surface of the cardboard. If you are ordering a product from e-commerce sites, there is a possible threat that you can contract coronavirus through the delivery person as well as the box or package.
If ordering food and grocery online, one needs to follow some necessary simple measures –
- Request your grocery delivery seller to avoid sending the groceries in a cardboard box. Wash your hands with sanitizer, soap after getting your order. Stay away at least 4 meters away from the delivery person.
- People delivering the products are at a higher risk of getting infected with coronavirus as they are potentially traveling in multiple sites, i.e., different houses, workplaces. When the item has reached your home, don’t take it directly away from the delivery person, instead ask him to place it somewhere. Try paying using electronic payment services.
- Make sure to wash the leafy vegetables with plenty of water. Root and sturdy vegetables contain a lot of dirt; therefore, wash them with plenty of water and scrub them.
- Avoid food delivery from restaurants, hotels if possible. In case of food delivery, ask the respective hotel about the precautions taken while preparing the food. Ready to eat meals, canned and packaged food items are highly recommended.
The COVID-19 virus is highly contagious and spread through sneezing, coughing, touching infected surface etc. It’s advisable not to get out of home and follow basic hygiene properly by washing hands regularly.
