Are people still quarantining their food shopping

[UntamedWisteria]

Not sure I can be bothered with this any more, nor that it makes much difference anyway.

What do other folk think?

If that is the only way then how do people who have been shielding for 6 weeks manage to get it?

No never have. Just wash hands after putting away

i know people who get in from work and shower and wash their clothes! due to the virus

What's your point? Seems sensible to me, and I don't wash shopping

Obviously everyone should do what they feels best for them but a question to those who dismiss it. How do you know you haven’t got it and are asymptomatic and spreading it to others?

Because all my workmates don't have it? If I did have it asymptomatically, then all the people I work closely with would be dropping like flies.

None of us have had it.

UK Govt advice on CV19 and food www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-for-consumers-on-coronavirus-covid-19-and-food/guidance-for-consumers-on-coronavirus-covid-19-and-food

which states "Food packaging
If you have been shopping, there should be no need to sanitise the outer packaging of food. This is because food businesses are required to have a system for managing food safety in place, which should include keeping packaging clean. You should still follow good hygiene practice by washing your hands after handling any outer packaging. If you have reason to believe the packaging has been contaminated, you should follow the recommended cleaning guidance."

so no need to wash packaging - not because the virus is not to be found on it - but because you should trust the shops to have done what is needed.

So do I trust the supermarkets and their delivery people ? or do I prefer to trust myself?

Catsrus - exact;y - if you have reason to believe it could be contaminated then follow cleaning. Well - we don't know if the person who packed it (deliveries) or person who touched it before us was asymptomatic - so I'm following cleaning guidance.

I think if you were young and healthy with no underlying conditions it proably is minimum risk and maybe not worth doing.

But for those of us older or with underlying conditions it seems to make sense. Certainly if you google how long the virus stays on various things lots of scientific evidence to say up to 3 days - hence why we are cleaning schools/ places of work/ doorhandles as these are all contact points.

I understand people taking the risk as for most it is a low risk - however I dont understand them mocking those of us who have researched and are taking precautions due to underlying conditions etc.

I trust myself more than a busy supermarket warehouse and delivery system.

I too trust myself more than unknown who may be a symptomatic. What’s 15 mins wiling stiff down as compared with exposing my self or dp to what friends have described as flu x 100 or unknowingly asymptomatically endangering others.
Really don’t understand those who belittle those of us who are having to be careful - it’s not funny or clever. It’s ignorant posturing frankly.
I’ve shielded relatives and will do everything to reduce risk.

This seems pretty definitive advice from prof Bloomfield, posted 5 hrs ago https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-52040138

"How safe are supermarket deliveries?
Delivery slots permitting, a home food drop is less risky than a trip to a supermarket as you will avoid other shoppers.
Any risk would be the possible contamination of food or packaging - handled by other people - or from the delivery driver.
You could leave a note on your door asking drivers to ring the bell and step back, but Prof Bloomfield says there's no such thing as "zero risk".
"For contained or packaged goods, either store them for 72 hours before using them - or spray and wipe plastic or glass containers with bleach [carefully diluted as directed on the bottle].
"For unwrapped fresh goods, which could have been handled by anyone - wash thoroughly under running water and leave to dry," she adds."

Wow. 10 pages, so this is still clearly an issue of concern for many.

Catsrus we've been doing the 72 hours storing online deliveries (that don't need the fridge) and it was starting to annoy me, but I guess we will continue.

Not wiping down with disinfectant though - but do wash hands after handling and anything that doesn't get cooked is washed very thoroughly.

The virus living on surfaces is based on lab conditions, not real life.

It’s very very clear that there is no risk from getting it from deliveries shopping mail etc, because most of the population would have had it by now if that’s the case, it would have spread like wild fire, as the overwhelming majority of people do not quarantine their deliveries or wash their shopping.

The numbers show it is not required and a pointless exercise.

I’ve never done it and I get amazon deliveries most says and a weekly Morrison’s shop. Haven’t caught the virus

Yes, have done it for about 9 weeks now, me and DP have a good system going. I'm not in the best of health so am doing my utmost to avoid catching it, even if the risk via post/shopping is low.

I agree with @Catsrus. I trust myself. I dont trust SOME workers. At the beginning of lockdown I imagine so many workers were mightily pissed off at having to work, risking their lives. I imagine there were /are many disgruntled employees who would cough onto your shopping when they were picking it, or a cough in the back of the van before the driver gives you your Amazon parcel. So while most employees wouldn't do that, there will be some that do, and I'm not taking that risk. So parcels stay in the hall for a few days, the shopping gets washed down in soapy water, even though it's a might PITA.

No I never have.

I imagine there were /are many disgruntled employees who would cough onto your shopping when they were picking it, or a cough in the back of the van before the driver gives you your Amazon parcel

Even if this were the case, the person 'coughing' would have to be infected with the virus in the active stage, and therefore probably wouldn't be at work anyway.

I have no reason to think ANY workers are 'coughing' over shopping. Anyone who didn't want to work (in retail anyway, for our company) was allowed to self-isolate for the twelve weeks.

Im not so worried about intentional coughing. We had a lovely tesco driver today - but I dont know if he is asymptomatic, or what he has touched prior to the bags.

I really admire all the supermarket and retail staff who have worked throughout the lockdown. Putting themselves at great risk and without complaint

BUT...just after the lockdown started one till worker, in a well known supermarket name, asked if you needed a bag, and when customers said yes, she licked her fingers to separate the bag from her pile and then licked her fingers to open it before putting it at the end of the till counter for you to use

And yes I did say something !

I very much thank any delivery drivers we see! I am so grateful, but I dont think theyre somehow immune.

Also high chance that some will be asymptotic. Not everyone who has it gets ill.

asymptotic

I like this typo . Can we keep it?

I would very much like to approach this virus asymptotically, if I'm going to have to approach it at all!

I’m shielded and received a leaflet from my GP surgery advising shielded people to clean the outer packaging of groceries with anti-viral wipes. At this stage, we don’t know all that much about the virus, so precautions would seem sensible. Also, as far as I’m aware, just as it hasn’t been proved that anyone has caught it from shopping, parcels or post it hasn’t been proved that they haven’t either. As for (as someone mentioned earlier) the risk having been much greater in the two weeks prior to the lockdown and there were no ill effects from not cleaning packaging then, how do you know?

I use an anti viral spray, as I only shop for a few days at a time so I touch/use a lot of it within 72 hours. I'm not washing my hands every time I touch something from the shop. I do think it's very low risk, and I'll probably stop soon, but also its kind of a habit now....