Coronavirus outbreak: How safe is your food

With the outbreak of the COVID19, strict instructions of staying quarantined have been passed in most countries around the world. The toll of confirmed cases is rising every minute in affected countries and at this rate, it can also go out of control if proper measures are not taken in time. The situation is becoming severe as we see it and if anything that has become more important than eating is staying clean and washing your hands and face as much as possible throughout the day. Coronavirus is declared a pandemic by the WHO and this has given rise to the pre-existent agitation among people all over the world. For the very same reason, it is important to keep the right information in hand and not let hoax news create any more panic than what already exists.

One most common false information that is being spread on a large scale is that the virus is capable of spreading through food. The researchers at European Centre for Disease prevention and Control (ECDC) said that even though the virus is likely to have spread from an animal source, it is now spreading through human contact by respiratory droplets that are either sneezed, coughed or exhaled by people.

So, unless someone who has been infected by the virus, sneezes, exhales or has any form of droplet transmission through food or otherwise within one-metre distance, both you and your food are safe. Droplet transmission can also take place by sharing the infected person’s used cutlery like spoons, cups, plates, etc. The most common gateway for these droplets to enter your body is through your eyes, mouth and nose which is why the hygiene instructions mark as washing hands regularly and keeping hands off your face are prioritized by the World Health Organisation.

Being around the person who is infected with COVID19 can potentially increase your chances of getting the virus. But any information that claims that the virus can be spread through any food items, especially poultry, stand false at this moment. The director of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has also talked about the consumption of poultry and has made it clear that if made under clean and hygienic conditions, poultry has no harm in the ongoing coronavirus. "As a common healthcare precaution, all kinds of meat should be thoroughly washed and properly cooked," he added. Many organisations and research centres such as the European Food Safety Authority have been working closely on this matter and have also claimed that currently there is no evidence that food is one of the likely sources of transmitting the coronavirus.

It is advised by experts to not eat food from outside and cook at home as much as possible because, at the end of the day, you do not know by whom your food is prepared and under which circumstances. It is also advised to avoid going out to parties, playdates, sleepovers, coffee shops, etc. Staying indoors is one of the easiest ways we can prevent ourselves from getting the virus and spreading it.