Since the government of India has announced the lockdown, we are all trying different ways to cope with our daily life and basic necessities. As the number of Covid-19 positives has started to increase, the debate over what to do and what not to do has also increased. We are all becoming more and more cautious of being hygienic and keeping ourselves away from the deadly virus.
The idea of social distancing means to avoid as much person-to-person contact as possible. But our habit of ordering online might be as dangerous as going out and meeting people.
While there is no proven evidence of Covid-19 being transmitted through food, as the viruses are killed through cooking, the packaging of ready-to-eat meals or takeaways are likely to be carriers. As the germs are believed to live on the surfaces for nine days. However, you might not need to be worried about your chef coughing or sneezing while cooking but what needs to scare you is your delivery boy doing the same to your package.
So what should we do? Like everything else, prevention is better than cure. Hence, it is important that, if you are dependent on outside food and you order packaged food, you store it for a minimum of 72 hours. Why 72 hours? It is said that the viruses can last a maximum of 72 hours on any surface.
It is better that as soon as your packets arrive, you wipe it with simple diluted household bleach that can inactivate the virus within 60 seconds. It is also advised that you maintain a prescribed distance between yourself and the delivery person. Hence, leaving a note on your front door for the delivery person to ring the bell and step back can allow you to pick up the food package alone.
It is also better to empty the contents into a clean container and dispose of the packaging. It is important that you wash your hands right after touching the packet and ensure you don’t touch your face before washing your hands for at least 20 seconds. If your meal is a pizza, it is best that you reheat it in the microwave for two minutes before eating.
For raw or fresh food, like fruits and vegetables, assuming that they have been handled by a person who’s infected, washing them under running water properly and leaving them to dry will help eliminate any risk of coronavirus infection.
Well, in the time of this pandemic all we can do is not panic and take precautions. Hence, the above mentioned pointers can help you make your delivery safe and coronavirus-proof.
