05 April 2020, Kathmandu
Globally coronavirus cases are at the rise with more than 9 million cases and death of more than 49,000. In Nepal, there are no cases of death due to coronavirus but there are 5 active cases in the country. The latest news reports that a vaccine called mRNA-1273 has been developed. WHO announced that an experiment is being carried out on a patient at Oslo University Hospital, Nyalden, Norway. The first-ever volunteer so far since the outbreak of COVID-19.
Food Contamination
Even though the world is under lockdown, we have to eat and buy groceries to meet our daily dietary requirements. But how safe is the food on the market? And how safe are we in the crowd? Because maintaining a 6ft distance in the market is next to impossible.
There are high chances of an infected person unknowingly spreading the virus by touching the surface of markets with their contaminated hand. These can lead to people visiting markets to purchase food or supplies being infected by viruses. The same goes for restaurants and food stalls, if the chief is infected by a coronavirus, it can surely transfer to the customers one way or another.
As there is no vaccine for coronavirus, but we know the nature of the virus. By studying the nature of the virus, we have been able to find the means to prevent it from spreading.
“It’s not about the food that you buy, it’s about the interaction you have with other people at the grocery store,” said Brian Labus, a professor at the University of Nevada Las Vegas’ School of Public Health for a Huffington Post Story.
Precautions
There are several measures to be implemented to prevent the virus from spreading. WHO and CDC say #social_distancing is the best measure to beat the spread of viruses. The following measures are to be followed to prevent the virus from spreading.
- When going out to shop, etc, wear old clothes that can be easily washed and dried afterward.
- Wear gloves that are also easily washed and dried when you come home. Wear a mask, too, if you have one. Before entering your house, shed your clothes and put them away for washing. Take a hot shower using a lot of soap and change into fresh clothes.
- Go to the store, do your best to maintain a physical distance of six feet from others, and don’t worry about the store clerk’s hands putting food in your bags. If you use a grocery cart, wipe it down first with a sanitizing wipe.
- Bring the groceries home, and outside the adjacent shed, set them down, then use either a hot wet soapy washcloth or sanitizing wipe to clean them off.
You should have it ready ahead of time. The authorities say the best sanitizing wipes have 70% alcohol content.
- While still wearing your gloves, set the bags aside in a place you don’t often go, for a full three days. It’s better not to touch them until the 3rd or 4th day. The findings pointed out that the virus survives on cardboard, paper, plastic, etc, for up to three full days!
