Safely Handling Food/Groceries

[Imzadi]

I always wash my hands after I blow my nose, even if I am home.

I do too, when I get up to do something. I don't want to be concerned that I want to blow my nose while watching TV, but what did I touch? When I go out, I make note that I touched the "community pen" at the bank or sign in sheet that 29 other people touched that day already. So I make sure I wash my hands before blowing my nose. And since I'm in the bathroom, after too.

 

[Imzadi]

I feel this is the same for all these packages. The biggest danger is handling it right after an infected person does. After some time it is there and detectable but weakened with each passing minute.

13 people died last night in a NYC hospital due to Coronavirus. I'll stick to the timeline the CDC and the WHO has stated the virus stays alive.

 

[gillep]

I wipe down anything that needs to go in the refrigerator/freezer with a clorox wipe before it goes in. Then wash hands then wipe everything I touched then wash hands, etc. Everything else sits in the garage for 3 days before it is touched.

 

[Christine]

13 people died last night in a NYC hospital due to Coronavirus. I'll stick to the timeline the CDC and the WHO has stated the virus stays alive.

I hope you don't think I was refuting the CDC guidelines. I'm not. I'm talking about other things where the virus is said to be detected 17 days on surfaces and in other areas for much longer than published.

I'm sorry if you thought I was being against what you are doing. I'm not. It's my choice not to wash cardboard boxes but I do know the timeline of what could be on them in XX amount of hours/days. I just choice to let them sit, bring them in, then quickly wash my hands versus wiping the boxes themselves down.

 

[wenrob]

I refuse to watch this video. I just don’t need another hit to my mental health. What I’ve come to realize is that you can make yourself a little insane with all of this. It’s impossible to not touch anything.

I put my stuff away, dispose of bags/packaging and wash my hands.

 

[wenrob]

I do too, when I get up to do something. I don't want to be concerned that I want to blow my nose while watching TV, but what did I touch? When I go out, I make note that I touched the "community pen" at the bank or sign in sheet that 29 other people touched that day already. So I make sure I wash my hands before blowing my nose. And since I'm in the bathroom, after too.

I’ve been carrying my own pen for decades.

 

[Imzadi]

I hope you don't think I was refuting the CDC guidelines. I'm not. I'm talking about other things where the virus is said to be detected 17 days on surfaces and in other areas for much longer than published.

I'm sorry if you thought I was being against what you are doing. I'm not. It's my choice not to wash cardboard boxes but I do know the timeline of what could be on them in XX amount of hours/days. I just choice to let them sit, bring them in, then quickly wash my hands versus wiping the boxes themselves down.

It was a little confusing. I do vaguely remember hearing the headline that the Coronavirus was still found on the cruise ship 17 days later. But, I hadn't heard anymore details then that.

 

[belleatdisney]

I unpack in the hallway, wipe down boxes with fresh hot paper towels. Plastics (soda, juice. milk) and jars get washed with dish soap. I do not reuse those bags. I wash the floor where the bags sat.

When I cook, I am aware the virus could be on anything I open. I empty the box, wash hands, unseal the inner bag, and get it where it is going without touching the actual food with my hands. I wash counters down where anything has sat.

I don’t know- but shouldn’t cooking kill the virus?

I do not order any produce or bakery that is not prepackaged. Too many hands touching it. I buy frozen fruits and veggies.

 

[Christine]

I unpack in the hallway, wipe down boxes with fresh hot paper towels. Plastics (soda, juice. milk) and jars get washed with dish soap. I do not reuse those bags. I wash the floor where the bags sat.

When I cook, I am aware the virus could be on anything I open. I empty the box, wash hands, unseal the inner bag, and get it where it is going without touching the actual food with my hands. I wash counters down where anything has sat.

I don’t know- but shouldn’t cooking kill the virus?

I do not order any produce or bakery that is not prepackaged. Too many hands touching it. I buy frozen fruits and veggies.

158 degrees Farenheit kills it.

 

[bcla]

Well - in totally weird news on top of what's been a totally weird news cycle, here's one:

https://www.wnep.com/article/news/l...food/523-19ba07b3-4ee4-4349-ad9a-c838bf0d44f6
Reports are that they tossed about $35K worth of food on concerns that she might have been infected. She's in custody pending a mental health evaluation.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1242978123316113410

 

[georgina]

Well - in totally weird news on top of what's been a totally weird news cycle, here's one:

https://www.wnep.com/article/news/l...food/523-19ba07b3-4ee4-4349-ad9a-c838bf0d44f6
Reports are that they tossed about $35K worth of food on concerns that she might have been infected. She's in custody pending a mental health evaluation.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1242978123316113410

Yeah I saw that on my PA news. People are sick! There have also been reports of gangs of young people in Ireland deliberately coughing on others.

 

[katie01]

this is the video that put me about over the edge yesterday, and kept me awake. I don't think I could possibly disinfect the sheer numbers of groceries I need to buy to feed my large family, one of whom has extensive food allergies and needs certain special foods that are extra from our other family grocery supply. You can't find Lysol wipes anywhere within a 30 mile radius of us, and it took me five stores to even find hand soap. I'm saving Lysol wipes for wiping down light switches, door knobs, the car steering wheel, etc. I'd be out of wipes in a few days if I used them on every single grocery product I buy

 

[focusondisney]

I refuse to watch this video. I just don’t need another hit to my mental health. What I’ve come to realize is that you can make yourself a little insane with all of this. It’s impossible to not touch anything.

I put my stuff away, dispose of bags/packaging and wash my hands.

I have been an RN for 43 years. I do the same.

 

[SaintsManiac]

this is the video that put me about over the edge yesterday, and kept me awake. I don't think I could possibly disinfect the sheer numbers of groceries I need to buy to feed my large family, one of whom has extensive food allergies and needs certain special foods that are extra from our other family grocery supply. You can't find Lysol wipes anywhere within a 30 mile radius of us, and it took me five stores to even find hand soap. I'm saving Lysol wipes for wiping down light switches, door knobs, the car steering wheel, etc. I'd be out of wipes in a few days if I used them on every single grocery product I buy

Yep I made the mistake of watching it right before i went to bed. And you’re exactly right! Disinfecting supplies have been hard to come by. That’s why I believe this video is unrealistic.

And what about people who have to eat on the go? They don’t have the ability to put food in a container and microwave it.

 

[belleatdisney]

Maybe stores will have to close the produce area to shoppers and have a store employee bag it and give you what you request. It would seem much safer.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Just a thought, but sometimes I wonder if people are subjecting themselves MORE to germs by wiping things down, especially if they aren't wearing gloves. I flew a couple of weeks ago and observed a lot of people wiping down their tray tables and such. None had gloves on and not all sanitized their hands afterward.

 

[focusondisney]

Yep I made the mistake of watching it right before i went to bed. And you’re exactly right! Disinfecting supplies have been hard to come by. That’s why I believe this video is unrealistic.

And what about people who have to eat on the go? They don’t have the ability to put food in a container and microwave it.

And is everyone eating everything they bought with in 24 hours? Most of my groceries are sitting on a shelf at home for days anyway. Viruses need hosts, organic hosts. You just aren’t going to catch this from a can or plastic container that sat on your shelf for days. Or from the floor where your bag sat. Maybe if you have a toddler crawling around there, sure, wash your floor. But that will save them from lots of other bacteria & viruses too. Washing your hands & staying 6 feet away from anyone coughing, sneezing or otherwise breathing onto you are by far the best ways to avoid getting this illness.

 

[Searc]

I unpack in the hallway, wipe down boxes with fresh hot paper towels. Plastics (soda, juice. milk) and jars get washed with dish soap. I do not reuse those bags. I wash the floor where the bags sat.

When I cook, I am aware the virus could be on anything I open. I empty the box, wash hands, unseal the inner bag, and get it where it is going without touching the actual food with my hands. I wash counters down where anything has sat.

I don’t know- but shouldn’t cooking kill the virus?

I do not order any produce or bakery that is not prepackaged. Too many hands touching it. I buy frozen fruits and veggies.

If you're only using hot water, don't bother. All it does is wets the boxes.

 

[Wendy31]

I watched that video last night & started worrying even more.

BEFORE I watched the video, we were bringing in mail, packages, & groceries & putting them in one place.

We’d carefully open the mail & packages, discard the packaging right away, & then Lysol or wipe the contents of the mail & packages & put the items away. Then, we’d spray the area where the packages were. And then we’d wash our hands.

For groceries, older DS & DH would bring the bags in. DD has been taking the items out of the bags & wiping everything down w/ a Clorox wipe & then I’d put the groceries away. After the groceries are put away, we’ll spray w/ Lysol where the bags were. And, then, complete the process by washing our hands.

DH has been going to get the groceries. (He’s been twice since this all started - but to 2 different grocery stores each time to find everything we needed.). He’s been using our reusable bags. After we’re done unloading the groceries, we’ve been spraying the bags w/ Lysol.

For a few things, I’ve been taking them out of their packaging, but, for most things (like bread), I’ve just been leaving them in their original packages - but I have been wiping down the packaging.

(I’ve been worried about produce anyway - not sure how to get produce virus-free w/ just rinsing?)

Soooo... after watching that video, after all we’ve ALREADY been doing, I realize we’re not doing enough.

And, after the video last night, I had a mini panic attack.

I‘ve haven’t been letting the packages set outside or in the garage for 3 days before handling. We’ve been using reusable bags. I haven’t been taking the bread out of its bag. And, now I’m also worried we haven’t been wiping things down enough... like how do I know if I’ve wiped every single speck off the item? And we’re probably not using enough wipes - we use probably between 3-5 for all the groceries because I’m trying to conserve our wipes.

But you can’t leave cold things from the grocery store In the garage for 3 days!

It’s all just too much.

 

[SaintsManiac]

And is everyone eating everything they bought with in 24 hours? Most of my groceries are sitting on a shelf at home for days anyway. Viruses need hosts, organic hosts. You just aren’t going to catch this from a can or plastic container that sat on your shelf for days. Or from the floor where your bag sat. Maybe if you have a toddler crawling around there, sure, wash your floor. But that will save them from lots of other bacteria & viruses too. Washing your hands & staying 6 feet away from anyone coughing, sneezing or otherwise breathing onto you are by far the best ways to avoid getting this illness.

Exactly. We haven’t touched the stuff we bought Tuesday since we put it away.