NORFOLK, Va. — “Our new normal.” You’re probably hearing that a lot.
And a big part of that “normal” is staying inside, away from stores and restaurants we were so used to frequenting. But many of us still need things, and that means we have turned to curbside pickup and delivery services to fill the void.
With that, comes a question many people are still asking: can you get COVID-19 from packages shipped to your door, takeout bags and mail?
The answer isn’t as simple as a “no,” but you have reason to be optimistic.
According to the Food and Drug Administration, there is no evidence, as of now, that food or food packaging is a source of COVID-19 transmission.
And while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports, in concept, a person could get COVID-19 by touching a contaminated surface then touching their face, it’s not believed to be the main way the virus spreads.
So it’s unlikely you’ll get sick from delivered packages or food.
However, why not take extra precautions, just in case.
A controlled CDC study did find that the virus can live on surfaces longer than a day.
So, when you receive an order like food to your door, remove the outermost bag or box first and leave it outside at your doorstep until you’re ready to toss it in your outside garbage or recycling bin.
Then take your food inside and transfer it onto one of your own plates and use your own silverware too.
You should also wipe down any surfaces the container contacted.
As far as your mail goes, just make sure you’re washing your hands after you touch it... although you should be doing that frequently already.
As of Tuesday, however, there have been no cases of COVID-19 associated with imported goods, according to the CDC.