Still wiping down groceries?

[Cam77]

Just wondered if anyone is still doing this? At the beginning we were told the virus can live on surfaces for X number of days, but as far as I’m aware, the powers that be never elaborated on whether it was a real risk of transmission.

I have elderly parents and am being extra cautious for their sakes. I was about to stop wiping a few weeks ago but then number started going again when I live. I know the risk is super small, but anyway, anyone else still consider this worth doing? Or was the science updated somewhere to say there’s no risk of transmission from groceries/parcels etc?

[MaggieFS]

@DullDullWeather

Never done it but I have nobody shielding in my home (that may have changed things)

Can I just ask, non aggressively, if those whom did or do wash things down, get food delivered during the Lockdown (as in a restaurant or fast food delivery)

Yes, we've had takeaways. Put newspaper on the kitchen counter to put the bags on when they've arrived, one of us with the 'dirty' hands has handled the packing and opened lids and the other with clean hands has removed food onto plates. All packaging and newspaper immediately disposed of. I'm aware the virus could also be on the actual food, but again, coming back to choices, I'm trusting a chef trained in food hygiene will be more careful and appropriately clothed than a delivery driver (or supermarket picker).

[VinylDetective]

Never did it at all. I can’t believe people are still at it.

[AuntieMarys]

No I don't do this. Or quarantine Amazon parcels or post. I never use hand sanitiser either. Wash hands ...yes.

[catgirl1976]

And to answer a PP no we have not (and are still not) getting take aways or eating out.

[Zaphodsotherhead]

Does anyone have links to an unquestionable source of CV-19 DEFINITELY having been transmitted via packaging? I've heard lots of anecdotal stuff and 'oh, my neighbour's friend never saw a soul but caught it off her delivery' where it turns out that neighbour's friend actually caught it off the bloke she spent twenty minutes chatting to but forgot about, but I have yet to see an ACTUAL PUBLISHED REPORT that shows that normally healthy people have anything to fear from cardboard and plastic.

I served a bloke in the supermarket before screens and masks, who tested positive for CV two days later. I didn't catch it, off his money, his card or contact, even though we chatted. People are being made paranoid.

[CaptainMyCaptain]

Can I just ask, non aggressively, if those whom did or do wash things down, get food delivered during the Lockdown (as in a restaurant or fast food delivery)
We don't eat fast food or take aways. We get a veg box, though, and wash everything before it's eaten, not before storage as it reduces the self life.

[mdh2020]

We’ve stopped wiping groceries but having read about the family in NZ who seem to have caught it at work from the packaging on frozen food I’m wondering if we should start again

[mdh2020]

We didn’t get takeaways for that very reason

[TooTTootY]

@Zaphodsotherhead

Does anyone have links to an unquestionable source of CV-19 DEFINITELY having been transmitted via packaging? I've heard lots of anecdotal stuff and 'oh, my neighbour's friend never saw a soul but caught it off her delivery' where it turns out that neighbour's friend actually caught it off the bloke she spent twenty minutes chatting to but forgot about, but I have yet to see an ACTUAL PUBLISHED REPORT that shows that normally healthy people have anything to fear from cardboard and plastic.

I served a bloke in the supermarket before screens and masks, who tested positive for CV two days later. I didn't catch it, off his money, his card or contact, even though we chatted. People are being made paranoid.

No because there isn't any evidence that anyone has caught it this way. As per the official bodies, CDC, FDA etc...

[IncrediblySadToo]

This warrants Repeating!!

@CaptainMyCaptain

DH works in the NHS and has worked with covid patients. He is quite laid back about it, goes to the pub now etc., but still thinks it's a good idea to wipe groceries down

It's not the first time I've heard that said!!

[Nanny0gg]

Never done it. Never even thought of it till I saw it on here.

And certainly never had a Quarantine area either!

[FuzzyPuffling]

Yep still doing it, and putting post etc into "quarantine" for a few days. Neither DH nor I would do very well if we got CV19, so it seems like a very small thing to do to help ourselves.

We have not "gone mad" as a previous poster suggests. Walk a mile in my shoes...

[YetAnotherSpartacus]

Does anyone have links to an unquestionable source of CV-19 DEFINITELY having been transmitted via packaging?

No one knows how it is transmitted.

I want to reduce my chances of getting it. Therefore I wear a mask, wash my hands frequently, avoid going out unless necessary (esp. to crowded places, just out walking in the country is fine), choose to work from home (thankful I have that choice), carry sanitiser and wipe/store my shopping appropriately.

[MilkLady02]

It’s ok to touch contaminated surfaces/food packaging. The virus won’t go through your skin. The risk is putting a contaminated hand into your mouth/nose/eyes, so even if you’ve touched contaminated packaging, as long as you don’t then get that contamination into your body, you should be fine. Groceries have always been touched by lots of people and have all kinds of bugs/possibly mucus etc.. on them. This is why it’s a good idea to wash hands before food prep or eating. How many people go into restaurants/cafes (pre Covid, and probably still now) and sit down and eat without hand washing? Lots! Bacteria etc.. from everything they’ve touched since last washing hands will then potentially be transferred to food and mouth. I’m not washing shopping but have always been fastidious about hand washing for above reasons. What amazes me most was that at the start of the pandemic, people had to be advised to wash hands after coughing/before food prep/when arriving home etc...as if this wasn’t a thing! (there was no mention of after using toilet though on the literature- yuck!)

[herecomesthsun]

We haven't been washing groceries, as from what I read it wasn't advised by scientists. The risk of infection is much higher from an actual person, most of our shopping is via supermarket delivery with a lot of the packing automated.

We wash hands very carefully after unpacking and quarantine the bags in the garage.

This is with shielding. But if the prevalence rises higher, we could reconsider what we do with shopping.

[PrayingandHoping]

@DullDullWeather

We have wiped shopping and still are

No we haven't had any takeaway food or eaten out during lockdown and still haven't

It is one of things we are talking about when is it the right time to start again, but for us, even though we are in a low case area, it's not yet

[JS87]

@TooTTootY
I haven't shaken anyone's hand for months and don't intend to for some considerable time. Don't get me wrong, I do wash my hands and think it's important but I think that if it is so important to wash hands then there is a risk from shopping.
No-one should be shaking hands with anyone in this pandemic. Completely unnecessary.
High contact areas may have a higher viral load but equally if some-one sneezes on their hand, picks up some food and then puts it back down again and I pick it up 2 minutes later the viral load could be just as high as a door handle.
The main route of exposure though is likely to be respiratory droplets which is why I find it frustrating that there are people who think it is unnecessary to wear a mask and state that all we need to do is wash our hands.

[katy1213]

I think I did it twice.

[LightAsTheBreeze]

No never have, nor parcels, nor post, we get everything delivered as I don’t bother going to shops much and never wiped anything.

[wannabebump]

I did and still do. But DH is high risk & I'm pregnant so I still do it. DH thinks it's a pain but better safe than sorry given so little is known about this virus really.

[IncrediblySadToo]

@DullDullWeather

Never done it but I have nobody shielding in my home (that may have changed things)

Can I just ask, non aggressively, if those whom did or do wash things down, get food delivered during the Lockdown (as in a restaurant or fast food delivery)

@DullDullWeather

Nope, I've not had anything from a takeaway/cafe/restaurant since February.

I'm not that convinced over delivery food hygiene at the best of times though & it's always at the back of my mind, so worrying about someone breathing/sneezing Covid onto my actual food put me off entirely! I think the boxes/containers can be got around by tipping the food onto your own plates.

[TooTTootY]

the viral load could be just as high as a door handle

Not necessarily, the point is a door handle will have been touched by a large amount of people throughout the day, a food package is likely to have been touched by one or two.

The viral load has to be high enough to infect you. That's why it's also said that you have to be stood with or talking to someone for a certain amount of time to be infected as well rather than just passing them in the shop aisle for example.

[FiveMoreMinutesPlease]

@Laiste

See, if there was enough risk to justify all this wouldn't 90% of the supermarket workers ended up catching it? They're there all day. They have to touch everything. They've spent the whole of lockdown handling every item you've ever seen on a supermarket shelf.

To my knowledge there isn't a disproportional high level of infection among supermarket staff?

Good point.
We've never wiped down anything but we have done lots of hand washing.

[Catawaul]

I was still doing it but forgot when I had a bag of shopping delivered this week! I had been dunking fridge and freezer items in a washing up bowl of disinfectant, and leaving everything else for two days before putting away. I will carry on doing this, I'm actually quite pleased I forgot because I had been worried about it becoming OCD. I think it's strange that further information hasn't been issued about how long the virus lasts on surfaces and would rather be on the safe side. Each to their own.

[IncrediblySadToo]

@Notcoolmum

I did at the beginning. Now I just make sure I wash my hands and wipe the surfaces after putting things away. In my very small team at work 2 people are still washing theirs. I was quite surprised.

Each to their own & if you're happy with that, great.

But I don't understand why some people think 'putting' something in the cupboard/fridge makes it Covid free?!