KAMPALA – Coronaviruses are transmitted from one person to another through droplets like when someone sneezes, coughs, or talks.
The coronaviruses that cause Covid-19 are also known to be transmitted by one touching surface with the virus and then touching their faces in areas like the mouth, eyes, and nose.
The surfaces could be when handling food packages. No research shows the coronavirus that causes Covid-19 can be spread through eating food. However, there are general food and safety tips that you need to follow. In this article, you’ll learn a few.
Clean your surfaces
- It would help if you cleaned your kitchen tops regularly. Disinfect them using a disinfectant bought from the supermarket. You can also develop your own solution; add five tablespoons of unscented liquid chlorine to 1 gallon of water. Let the solution stay on the surface for 1 minute. Before you prepare your food, make sure you rinse the disinfected surface with clean water. Something else you need to know is that you are not supposed to disinfect the food packaging or food.
- In case you have a person infected with the virus at home, disinfect the surfaces that are mostly used by everyone like kitchen countertops, faucets, doorknobs, handles, and light switches.
Handling packaged food and fresh goods
Even though there are no cases of COVID-19 that have occurred due to the handling of food, you need to be very cautious. Follow acceptable safety practices that will help you reduce cases of diseases caused by foodborne pathogens:
- If you have groceries like meat, eggs, seafood, and other perishable foodstuffs, refrigerate them immediately after purchasing them.
- You are not supposed to use any disinfectant meant for hard surfaces on food packages, which are mostly wrapped in plastic.
- If you happen to have any reusable bags, clean them and dry them after using them.
- Do not wash your foodstuffs with soap, disinfectant, or any sanitizer. Use running water to rinse your vegetables and fruits.
- Firm foodstuffs like cucumbers and potatoes should be scrubbed even if you will not consume the peels.
Handling game meat
There is no evidence that you can get infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 by eating meat from wild animals. However, you need to be extra careful while handling game meat. Here are some of the safety tips you need to follow:
- Do not hunt animals that look sick. You should also not get meat from dead animals because you do not know the cause of death.
- Wear disposable gloves when handling game meat.
- Clean the harvested meat and preserve it in a cool place.
- Do not feed on the brains of wild animals. Avoid tissues from the spinal cord and backbone as well.
After you have finished handling the meat:
- Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.
- All equipment like knives and the surfaces in contact with the game meat should be cleaned by soap and water. Later on, you can disinfect them.
Cook your game meat thoroughly. You should not eat raw game meat. Consuming raw meat may lead to severe infections. Before you decide to consume any wild meat, find out with your wildlife agency whether there are tests that need to be done. There could also be specific instructions regarding preparing and consuming meat from wild animals.
Bottom Line
To sum up, follow the above safety tips while handling your food, and you won’t complain of any infections. You’ll also realize your biggest weapon against any form of infection is general hygiene. Practice a higher degree of personal and environmental cleanliness, and it will become easier to control the spread of the virus and other infections.
