Full Text
JAMA PATIENT PAGE Food Safety and COVID-19 COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. How Is the Novel Coronavirus That Causes COVID-19 Transmitted? SARS-CoV-2isprimarilytransmittedfrompersontopersonthrough respiratory droplets that enter the mouth, nose, or eyes by con- taminated hands. There is no current evidence that SARS-CoV-2 is transmitted through food consumption. How Can I Stay Safe While Grocery Shopping? To prevent transmission, maintain at least 6 feet of distance be- tween yourself and other shoppers. Avoid shaking hands, hugs, or grocery carts or basket handles with disinfectant wipes, if avail- able.Avoidtouchingyourface.Wearingaclothmaskinthestoremay reduce your risk of getting infected and reminds others to partici- pate in social distancing. Before leaving the store or while waiting in the checkout line, use hand sanitizer if available. Avoid shopping in public if you have such as fever or tancebetweenyourselfandothersarethebestwaystopreventillness. What Precautions Should I Take When Unpacking Groceries? Time is on your side. Recent studies have shown that SARS-CoV-2 mayremaininfectiousonsurfacesorobjectsforupto72hours,but most virus on the surface of common materials becomes inactive (noninfectious)afterthefirst24hours.Thereislimitedevidencethat face of groceries will become inactivated over time after groceries are put away. The inner contents of sealed containers are unlikely tobecontaminated.Ifusingadisposablegrocerybag,discarditonce you are home. Reusable bags can be stored for later use. After un- packingyourgroceries,washyourhandswithsoapandwaterforat least 20 seconds, or use hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.Wipesurfaceswithhouseholddisinfectantsregisteredwith the Environmental Protection Agency. What Precautions Should I Take When Preparing Food? If you consume foods soon after unpacking your groceries, be sure to practice good hand hygiene before eating. Do not share plates or silverware with others. Rinse off fruits and vegetables thor- oughly with water before consumption. Are There Any Additional Precautions for Older Adults? Adults older than 65 years and persons with chronic medical condi- tions are particularly vulnerable to severe disease from COVID-19. If possible, limit shopping in public. Ask a neighbor or friend to pick up groceries and leave them outside your house or bring them into the house while maintaining a distance of at least 6 feet. Some grocery stores offer special hours in the morning for older adults to shop. Try callingyourlocalgrocerystoretoseeifthisisavailablenearyou.Some online suppliers will deliver groceries to your home. Authors: Angel N. Desai, MD, MPH; David M. Aronoff, MD Published Online: April 9, 2020. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.5877 Author Affiliations: Fishbein Fellow, JAMA (Desai); Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee (Aronoff). Conflict of Interest Disclosures: Dr Aronoff reported receiving funding from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, Pfizer, Cayman Chemical Co, March of Dimes, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and serving as an advisory board consultant for Summit Therapeutics, NAEJA-RGM Pharmaceuticals, BLC, and Sanofi Pasteur. Dr Desai reported no disclosures. Sources: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Food Safety and Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Accessed March 29, 2020. foodsafety/newsletter/food-safety-and-Coronavirus.html. Ong SWX, Tan YK, Chia PY, et al. Air, surface environmental, and personal protective equipment contamination by severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) from a patient. JAMA. Published online March 4, 2020. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.3227 van Doremalean N, Bushmaker T, Morris DH, Holbrook MG, Gamble A, Williamson BN. Aerosol and surface stability of SARS-CoV-2 as compared with SARS-CoV-1. N Engl J Med. Published online March 17, 2020. doi:10.1056/NEJMc2004973 The JAMA Patient Page is a public service of JAMA. The information and recommendations appearing on this page are appropriate in most instances, but they are not a substitute for medical diagnosis. For specific information concerning your personal medical condition, JAMA suggests that you consult your physician. This page may be photocopied noncommercially by physicians and other health care professionals to share with patients. To purchase bulk reprints, email [EMAIL REDACTED]. Coronavirus transmission SARS-CoV-2 is the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The virus can spread when a person touches a surface or object that has active virus particles on it and then touches their mouth, nose, or eyes. Virus particles can remain active for up to 72 hours on some surfaces, but they typically become inactive after 24 hours. Virus particles can be eliminated by washing hands with soap and water and cleaning surfaces with disinfectant. After putting groceries away, throw away disposable bags, wash hands, and disinfect countertops and other surfaces. Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 has not been shown to occur through eating, but precautions when shopping for food may prevent viral spread. Disinfect shopping carts and baskets. Keep 6 feet of distance between yourself and other shoppers. 6 feet Food shopping safety FOR MORE INFORMATION Centers for Disease Control and Prevention jama.com (Reprinted) JAMA Published online April 9, 2020 E1 © 2020 American Medical Association. All rights reserved. Downloaded From: by Richard Johnson on 04/09/2020