Should we or should we not be wiping shopping??

[Jaem02]

I know the gov say it isn't necessary but lots of people are still wiping down or quarantining shopping. Should we be?

No.

I mean ... just ... NO!

The chances that someone with covid has even briefly touched one piece of your shopping within the last couple of days is vanishingly small.

The chances that someone with covid has actually sneezed or coughed ONTO your item of shopping is infinitesimal.

The chances of you catching covid off an object even if either of the highly unlikely scenarios above HAS taken place is practically zero! The viral load from touch is too small.

And people are bleaching their shopping?

I mean what are people thinking?!?!

No, never. Put it away, wash hands, done. No quarantining anything here either.

People will think me strange here .

I have stayed in a hotel, eaten in a restaurant and sat in a bar . I was willing to endure a 3 hour flight with face mask until I got sick of the quarantine uncertainty and cancelled .

But I still wipe my shopping down .

The logic of it to me is that, given that I always maintain distancing and anti-bac my hands frequently I don't see the higher risk activities as being a real risk , given I am in a low Covid area . But I get benefit from these things , they make me happy .

I don't really see a negative to wiping my shopping , apart from the extra 10 mins it takes when putting stuff away, yet it might protect me and possibly counteract the other stuff I'm doing .

If you've got the time to spend wiping shopping you are privileged in the sense that you are / were not working long hours in an overstreched keyworker role for probably low wages like many people have been. Nor are you working from home and also trying to juggle childcare and homeschool, I.e doing the work of two or more people, like others have been, with resulting long days and zero free time. In short, if you're wiping down shopping, you have enough discretionary time after whatever paid work and domestic work you do to choose to participate in an entirely unnecessary task. And that is a lot more than many people have, hence your privilege.

@shinynewapple2020

People will think me strange here .

I have stayed in a hotel, eaten in a restaurant and sat in a bar . I was willing to endure a 3 hour flight with face mask until I got sick of the quarantine uncertainty and cancelled .

But I still wipe my shopping down .

The logic of it to me is that, given that I always maintain distancing and anti-bac my hands frequently I don't see the higher risk activities as being a real risk , given I am in a low Covid area . But I get benefit from these things , they make me happy .

I don't really see a negative to wiping my shopping , apart from the extra 10 mins it takes when putting stuff away, yet it might protect me and possibly counteract the other stuff I'm doing .

Whoever said shopping wipers exhibited low intelligence could point to this as an example. It is a complete fallacy to believe that wiping down shopping can counteract your eating in a restaurant or sitting in a bar. The virus sadly does not respond to bargaining statements such as - 'if I wipe down my shopping, can I sit in a bar?'

I did it for my first lockdown shop. Made it into a game with my DD8. Then I gave my head a wobble and haven't done it since.

I quarantine post for a few hours but don't wipe down shopping. I'm just careful about how I open things for a day or two. What do people wipe their shopping with?

Nope. Never have, never will. Done lots of big shops. Wash hands when I get home. No Covid (or paranoia) in our house.

@Laiste

No.

I mean ... just ... NO!

The chances that someone with covid has even briefly touched one piece of your shopping within the last couple of days is vanishingly small.

The chances that someone with covid has actually sneezed or coughed ONTO your item of shopping is infinitesimal.

The chances of you catching covid off an object even if either of the highly unlikely scenarios above HAS taken place is practically zero! The viral load from touch is too small.

And people are bleaching their shopping?

I mean what are people thinking?!?!

The chance of an infected person touching the shopping isn''t that low if you have shopping delivered and live in an area with a high number of infections. I don't wipe my shopping but I am pretty careful about opening things for a couple of days after delivery.

@newwnamme

If you've got the time to spend wiping shopping you are privileged in the sense that you are / were not working long hours in an overstreched keyworker role for probably low wages like many people have been. Nor are you working from home and also trying to juggle childcare and homeschool, I.e doing the work of two or more people, like others have been, with resulting long days and zero free time. In short, if you're wiping down shopping, you have enough discretionary time after whatever paid work and domestic work you do to choose to participate in an entirely unnecessary task. And that is a lot more than many people have, hence your privilege.

Not at all...this is a very wrong judgement. My husband has worked full time throughout, currently doing 12 hours days as a key worker. I've juggled working from home, home schooling and taking care of 2 kids plus my house...instead of sitting and reading a book, watching a tv programme, having a bath or whatever it may be...I could instead have chosen to wipe my shopping....

My Mum - who has wiped her shopping throughout, was advised not to leave her house even for a walk for months on end...she had the time to clean, but I would hardly call that a privilege!!

possibly counteract the other stuff I'm doing

How on earth did you reach this ridiculous logic?

How on earth could it only take 5 or 10 minutes? If you were to do it effectively, it would take far far longer than that! Unless you're only buying a pint of milk and a loaf of bread.
So bleaching shopping is completely useless and a waste of time and I've got better things to do!

I don't know because I've managed to have a few spares of items. So the oldest things get used first (which have been stored for well over a week). I do wash fruit and veg before using if it's been bought loose.

I was away on a short break recently so I had shopped for some basics before I went away; those items are now being used, and I'm getting some shopping today for next week and the week after, which means things can be put in the fridge/on a shelf and left for 7-10 days.

@newwnamme you've highlighted (among others) perfectly what I said about being sneery about this. Your post is ridiculous. I don't wipe my shopping and never have but I can think why people try so hard to make other people feel bad if they do. It's so odd.

Never done it, neither have my elderly parents. I don’t know anyone who has to be honest.

I wonder how many people get colds or flu from other people having breathed on their shopping? Or from opening an envelope without having quarantined it for three days?
Covid doesn't spread that way either.
The risk of transmission from the particles on cardboard is miniscule to non existent.

No never done it with shopping, nor post, nor parcels and I get loads delivered

Someone asked a question about whether its necessary to wipe shopping. Others, including me, responded. My view doesn't match yours or others but that doesn't mean its 'trying so hard to make others feel bad'.

All I have personally said is 1. I think you are privileged if you have the time to wipe shopping and 2. It is a fallacy to think wiping shopping gives you some kind of protection when drinking in bars.

Neither of these are unreasonable or offensive positions. If you disagree that's fine. They're just my contribution to the discussion.

Every person has to carry out their own risk assessment and do what makes them feel comfortable balancing risk and mental health/time available. If you want to wipe your shopping down, please do. Personally, I am too lazy to do it but I do wash my hands before, after and during the time I unpack my shopping. I do think any extra precautions you take, could decrease the risk of catching Covid. I know people who have been abroad on holidays, in restaurants/cafes etc almost every day and others who have barely left the house and are cleaning everything/health diets/extra vitamins etc. Do what makes you happy and feel comfortable with your perceived risk. We are all bound to follow the rules and guidance of the countries we live in which again vary very widely. There really are no absolute right and wrong answers in this whole situation.

Never have, never will.

Not this thread again! Every couple of weeks.

Yes I am.

Risk is small but even not allowing for covid, supermarket shelves and fridges are not the cleanest places.

I wipe anything in plastic.

Virus can live on it for 3 days and longer in the fridge and all it needs is one shop asst or another shopper with the virus to have touched it.

@Laiste Surely it's not a small chance at all? Have you not seen customers in shops pick up a chicken or anything in a plastic wrapper then put it back? Many people are infected but asymptomatic- figures say around 3 million possibly had it so that's more than 5% if you exclude children.

Virus can be spread in many ways- why do you think we have to wash our hands if it's not spread by touch?

A friend puts all their shopping (still in the bags) in the bath and leaves them there for a couple of days. Obviously not fresh stuff though!

Never have, never will. Utterly, totally pointless.