Is it safe to go to grocery stores and other food markets during COVID-19?

Is it safe to go to grocery stores and other food markets during COVID-19?

Yes, it is generally safe to go grocery shopping and to markets by following the below prevention measures:• Clean your hands with sanitizer before entering the store.• Cover a cough or sneeze in your bent elbow or tissue.• Maintain at least a 1-metre distance from others, and if you can’t maintain this distance, wear a mask (many stores now require a mask).• Once home, wash your hands thoroughly and also after handling and storing your purchased products. There is currently no confirmed case of COVID-19 transmitted through food or food packaging.

Is carry out grocery or getting it delivered at home safe during COVID-19?

Food deliveries and carry-out food Carry-out and delivery are generally considered low-risk activities for contracting or spreading COVID-19, and they are a great way to support your local business community during these difficult times. However, you can take some steps to further decrease the risk.

What are some recommendations for grocery shopping during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Order online or use curbside pickup

• If possible, limit visiting the grocery store, or other stores selling household essentials, in person. In general, the more closely you interact with others and the longer that interaction, the higher the risk of COVID-19 spread.
• Order groceries and other items online for home delivery or curbside pickup (if possible) or check with your local grocery store to see if pre-order or drive-up options are available.

Are grocery workers at risk from the coronavirus disease?

As a grocery or food retail worker, potential sources of exposures include close contact for prolonged periods of time with a customer with COVID-19 and touching your nose, mouth, or eyes after handling items, cash, or merchandise that customers with COVID-19 have touched.

Can COVID-19 enter into the body by the hands?

Hands touch too many surfaces and can quickly pick up viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your face, from where the virus can move inside your body, making you feel unwell.

How long should I wash my hands during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Thorough hand hygiene after any cough or sneeze is required. The WHO also recommends that individuals wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the toilet or when hands are visibly dirty, before eating and after blowing one’s nose.

How can someone be infected by COVID-19?

A person can be infected when aerosols or droplets containing the virus are inhaled or come directly into contact with the eyes, nose, or mouth.• The virus can also spread in poorly ventilated and/or crowded indoor settings, where people tend to spend longer periods of time.

What does pre-symptomatic transmission of COVID-19 mean?

The incubation period for COVID-19, which is the time between exposure to the virus (becoming infected) and symptom onset, is on average 5-6 days, however can be up to 14 days. During this period, also known as the “pre- symptomatic” period, some infected persons can be contagious. Therefore, transmission from a pre-symptomatic case can occur before symptom onset.

Can the coronavirus survive on surfaces?

It is not certain how long the virus that causes COVID-19 survives on surfaces, but it seems likely to behave like other coronaviruses. A recent review of the survival of human coronaviruses on surfaces found large variability, ranging from 2 hours to 9 days (11).The survival time depends on a number of factors, including the type of surface, temperature, relative humidity and specific strain of the virus.