Will I be infected with the new coronavirus when I go out to buy groceries? How to go out to buy groceries during the epidemic

We all know that the new coronavirus is a new and difficult virus that is not only highly contagious but also difficult to treat. Many people have been infected and sick, so everyone must take precautions. So, will you be infected with the new coronavirus when you go out to buy groceries? Let's take a closer look!

Can I be infected with the new coronavirus by going out to buy groceries?

Recently, the media revealed that a man in Ningbo, Zhejiang went out to buy groceries without wearing a mask and was infected after a brief contact with a confirmed patient for only 15 seconds, which has attracted much public attention.

In this regard, Wu Zunyou said that the key to whether or not you will be infected lies in the distance from the patient and whether you have taken protective measures. Since the main transmission route of pneumonia infected by the new coronavirus is droplet transmission, breathing, talking, coughing, and sneezing can all produce droplets. However, breathing spreads less and the distance is shorter; talking spreads more and farther; coughing spreads farther; and sneezing spreads farther. Therefore, if you are in close contact with the patient when he is talking, coughing, or sneezing, and you do not take protective measures, it is easy to be infected. Before the epidemic is effectively controlled, you must wear a mask and take good protection when going to places where people gather.

When there are no infected patients in supermarkets or markets, you will not be infected with the new coronavirus when you touch meat or fish when buying vegetables in the market. If there are people infected with the coronavirus around you when you are buying food, your chances of infection will increase, or the droplets from their coughs or the virus spread in the air may survive longer on vegetables or meat, and you may also bring the virus home. But it should be noted that this is a more extreme situation. Unless you are in an area severely affected by the epidemic, the chances of touching meat or bringing home the new coronavirus from the food you buy are actually not high.

In addition, it should be pointed out that the survival of the virus does not necessarily mean that it is contagious. In fact, viral pathogens that have no metabolic capacity of their own are difficult to survive in the external environment. Even if they still survive, if the envelope protein on their surface undergoes a certain denaturation, the possibility of binding to human cells will be greatly reduced. Therefore, if meat or vegetables are contaminated with the new virus and brought home, the chance of it actually being transmitted to humans is even lower.

Let's take an extreme example. For example, if the vegetables and meat we bought are contaminated with the new coronavirus, and this virus is still a "fresh virus" that can be transmitted to humans, but if we wash our hands properly and promptly after buying the meat and vegetables and go home, the coronavirus on our hands will also be washed away, and the vegetables and meat will be thoroughly washed and fully cooked before eating, which can also kill the virus. It is recommended not to eat raw food when preventing infection, and to cook food before eating because high temperature can kill the virus.

What should you pay attention to when going out to buy groceries?

Pay more attention to these aspects:

1. When going out to buy groceries, you should wear a mask and try to shorten the shopping time;

2. Avoid purchasing at large seafood markets, poultry markets or farms;

3. If you need to go to the fresh food market to purchase, you should pay attention to personal protection. First of all, you must avoid direct contact with animals and animal products with your hands. If you need to contact, you can wear gloves. Wash your hands with soap and water in time after contact, and avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. Secondly, avoid direct contact with sick animals and spoiled meat. Finally, avoid contact with stray animals, wild animals, garbage and wastewater in the market. Wash your hands immediately after returning home and do a good job of disinfection.

How to disinfect after going out to buy groceries

Before going out shopping and returning home, you should first take off your mask, fold it outward, tie it tightly and put it in the trash can. Wash your hands with running water, and if necessary, spray the surface of your coat, shoes, and shopping bags with 75% alcohol for disinfection.

When performing home disinfection, it is important to maintain a ventilated environment at home. Ensure ventilation at least once a day in the morning and evening, and the ventilation time should be at least 30 minutes to allow indoor and outdoor air to circulate and reduce the risk of disease transmission. In environments where natural ventilation is not possible, mechanical ventilation such as exhaust fans should be used for ventilation. Home environmental products should be mainly cleaned, supplemented by preventive disinfection.

Before household disinfection, clean your hands, put on household protective gloves, disposable latex gloves and masks. Prepare a 1:100 dilution of 84 disinfectant and start household disinfection.

Four key points of household disinfection

Tableware and tea sets

It needs to be boiled for 15-30 minutes for disinfection. It can also be disinfected in a disinfection cabinet.

Frequently touched surfaces

For example, countertops, door handles, telephones, switches, kettle handles, etc. can be wiped and disinfected using a 1:100 dilution of 84 disinfectant.

Towels and Clothing

For ordinary towels and clothing, disinfect them with disinfectant and then rinse them with clean water.

ground

Use mop-type disinfection. Mop-type disinfection uses 84 disinfectant in a ratio of 1:100. The operation time is 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, clean it with clean water and wipe it clean.

After cleaning and disinfection, relevant disinfection tools should be cleaned immediately, such as mops and rags, to avoid secondary contamination. Then remove the mask and gloves and wash your hands.