Also Read
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookie Policy.
Viruses are frozen when it is stored. So, if a virus is packed with frozen product then it may survive.
As the current global health crisis rages on unabated, scientists face more questions than answers. Along with developing an effective vaccine, they also have to figure out the different ways by which it may spread and how to stop the virus in its track. We all know that this virus is transmitted via respiratory droplets and can spread if you have close contact with an infected person. The COVID-19 virus also survives on surfaces for days and remains airborne for more than an hour. But this may not be the only means of transmission. According to recent reports from China, this virus was also found in a few shrimp packages. Now, this raises fears that this deadly contagion may also spread through food or food packaging.
A report in Bloomberg says that this new variant of coronavirus was found outside five shrimp packages. According to this report, it was also present inside one of the shipping containers. All the samples were from three Ecuadorian plants. This raises fears and speculations over the transmission of novel coronavirus through food and food packaging. However, till now, global health agencies have said that the risk is quite low.
According to the World Health Organization, it is highly unlikely that you may get the COVID-19 virus through food or food packaging. This is because the novel coronavirus needs an animal or a human host to multiply and thrive. According to them, this is a respiratory illness and the primary transmission route is through person-to person contact and through direct contact with respiratory droplets generated when an infected per son coughs or sneezes. They say that there is no evidence to date of viruses that cause respiratory illnesses being transmitted via food or food packaging.
Also Read
Also Read
Also Read
Experts believe that the heat generated while cooking food may kill the virus effectively. But there is a big question mark over the safety of frozen food. They advise that for now it is better to avoid eating cold meats, like salmon, till there is more clarity on the issue. The novel coronavirus was also found on chopping boards used to cut salmon for imports in a wholesale food market in China. But many experts are quick to point out that, since there is no credible evidence of virus transmitting through food and food packaging yet, it may be a little premature to confirm that frozen foods may carry the virus.
Recently, the Chief Epidemiologist of China's Center for Diseases Prevention and Control said that the virus can survive on the surface of frozen food for up to three months. However, an expert from the University of Hong Kong admitted that till now there is no evidence that this virus can spread through consumption of contaminated food. Infection from fresh foods like meat and fish may occur if a kitchen worker or waiter goes to work while ill and touches the food. This can transmit the virus. An expert from the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network Coordinated by the World Health Organization says that viruses are frozen when it is stored. So, if a virus is packed with frozen product then it may survive. In fact, the colder it is, the longer it will last.
This virus is transmitted during close contact through respiratory droplets. The virus can spread directly from person-to-person when a COVID-19 positive person coughs or sneezes, producing droplets that reach the nose, mouth, or eyes of another person. Sometimes, these droplets may land on objects and surfaces near the infected person. If you touch these contaminated surfaces or objects, you may acquire the virus. Recently, WHO has also acknowledged that airborne transmission is possible as the virus can stay suspended in air for up to an hour.
(With inputs from Agencies)