Are takeaways safe?

[Dee1975]

Ok so appreciate I may have been over cautious during lockdown, I wipe everything down from the supermarket before I take it into the house, I open post and throw away the envelope straight away and wash hands. I’m pretty paranoid about any surface that ‘it’ could last on for a number of hours / days. Just doing what I can to keep my family safe ...
Since lockdown a lot of places have resorted to doing takeaway food - which is great they are doing what they can to keep running during this time. Whilst a lot of friends have been getting takeaways - im just not sure it’s safe? Someone breathing over your food whilst prepping it, the cardboard box it’s given to you in ... Etc ...
Am I being unreasonable in thinking that takeaways are just not safe?

YABU. I read there’s been no transmission of the virus through food. As long as you dispose of the packaging and wash your hands it is fine.

I expect you are many times more likely to get food poisoning from a take away than coronavirus. Do you consider them 'safe ' from that point of view?

@HorsesDoovers You might want to read some of the threads in MH. This has triggered a hell of a lot of people. I think your comment about being rational and intelligent is more insulting to be honest 🙄

You can't say anything is 'safe'. We're in the midst of a global pandemic. It's highly unlikely a takeaway would transmit Covid but I do object to using the word 'safe' about anything like this.

I don’t think wiping shopping is necessary either , all that does is slosh more chemicals around unnecessarily. The virus “surviving on surfaces” does not mean it can be transmitted that way. WHO or the government don’t say you need to wipe down shopping.

We’re in the Shielding category and likely to remain so past 30th June.

We’ve had a few takeaways. We transfer out of containers and reheat. Been doing so for at least a month. Delivery is contactless everything is handled with disposable gloves and then it’s thrown straight away. Lots of thorough hand washing.

Or think of if another way OP have your takeaway munching friends all been struck down by CV? That should give you your answer

Weekly take away here. Only real break I get from feeding everyone the other 20 meals a week (DP is working out the house but had a packed lunch)

I still wash all my shopping and quarantine parcels etc but last week I just HAD to try a takeaway. I seemed to be the only one out of everyone I know who hasn't actually had one during this pandemic. I rarely have takeaways, one every few months if that. I'm alive and it was lush

@userxx
I am not saying that if you have OCD you are not rational or intelligent. Neither am I denying that many people's mental health has suffered in many ways because of this crisis and the lockdown.
What I am saying is that the many many comments of 'if you wipe down your shopping you'll get OCD' are over simplified and insulting to both those suffering with OCD and those of us who wipe our shopping down and get on with our lives.

We've been getting takeaway at least once a week and I've never wiped down my shopping or thrown envelopes away. That has never been the advice.

We need to get out of panic mode and figure out how to live with this virus ( just as we have with other viruses!)
Practice good hygiene - wash hands, don't touch your face and isolate if you have symptoms.

You can't say anything is 'safe'. We're in the midst of a global pandemic

But are takeaways "safe" even in other times? You could burn yourself on a jalfrezi, choke on a Margherita, get food poisoning from a chow mein, find a worm in your bhoona..... All manner of weird and wonderful scenarios which are probably far more likely than catching covid19.

@HorsesDoovers Fair enough.

I would think they are safe yes.However your post was timely because I fancied a TO several times but havent got one ! Our local chippy is reopening and you pay by card ,queue outside with SD of course ,so I was braving up to "risk it"as it were! I dont think you have OCD. Just like me and many others, the rational part of you thinks its safe, but that little voice keeps on saying" What If !"

My DH is too scared of getting a takeaway at the moment so we haven't been. He's always been a bit of a germaphobe.

@userxx apologies if my initial post wasn't clear

We've been having them occasionally. I just take the food out of the packaging and place it on a plate and wash hands.

The risk of food poisoning or norovirus is higher from a takeaway. But there is a small risk of covid, as someone has been in close contact with this food and then you are eating it soon afterwards. I wouldn't worry about it unless you are in a shielding category. The risk must be tiny. You are probably more likely to die as a result of falling over in the shower

We've been having them throughout lock down. Something to look forward to.

I've eaten many a takeaway during lockdown, all eaten out straight of the box/container.

We have had 2 kebabs since lockdown, and 4 Chinese takeaways. We also had Mc Donald’s the other day! honestly without a little perk every now and again I think I would have lost the plot. Takeaways are fine. Also to add when I have been to them 3 places all staff have had gloves and masks on. Go on treat your self.

They're no worse than they were before. But still gross in my opinion.

We've been having them weekly! Decant everything onto plates, wash hands and eat! If anything is left over we store it on plates and not in the original packaging etc.

We're generally quite relaxed though. Very much sticking to the social distancing rules, only shopping when necessary etc but no washing or shopping/parcels/post. Just making sure we wash hand after handling packaging of food during cooking

I guess it depends on your levels of risk aversion. If you are currently operating at the level of, ahem, "caution" you describe then, your current "logic" would suggest you should not order a takeaway. We have had takeaways, but then again, I have never wiped shopping or quarantined post.