Sunday, March 15, 2020

Can we get the coronavirus from eating food that contains the virus?

I wondered, as I was reading about people who are dealing with the social distancing by avoiding restaurants — whether they might inhale the virus — but getting food made in restaurants delivered to their house? I found this answer at the Harvard Medical School website:
Can I catch the coronavirus by eating food handled or prepared by others?

We are still learning about transmission of the new coronavirus. It's not clear if it can be spread by an infected person through food they have handled or prepared, but if so it would more likely be the exception than the rule.

That said, the new coronavirus is a respiratory virus known to spread by upper respiratory secretions, including airborne droplets after coughing or sneezing. The virus that causes COVID-19 has also been detected in the stool of certain people. So we currently cannot rule out the possibility of the infection being transmitted through food by an infected person who has not thoroughly washed their hands. In the case of hot food, the virus would likely be killed by cooking. This may not be the case with uncooked foods like salads or sandwiches.

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